Cycles of Destiny
by Tea's
Summary: It's been almost four years since Kagome was sent back to her own time with no way of going back to the Feudal Era. Now, at the age of 19, she's about to find that she's once again connected to the past somehow. [SessKagome]
1. Prelude: A Time of Before and After

**Cycles of Destiny  
**by Téa

_A Sesshoumaru and Kagome Story_

**Story Status:** Originally, this story was started back in 2002 and then halted unexpectedly at chapter 6 a few months later. Now, almost 4 years later, I'm still armed with more than 20 pages of old outlines, a mostly finished (albeit abandoned) chapter 7, and a story that was never properly told in whole. It makes for a rather depressing situation, because I had stopped following Inuyasha for almost as long as I've left this fic hanging...which has made me even less confident than I already was about writing a good Sesshoumaru/Kagome fanfic. Nevertheless, I've been spending some time re-reading all the wonderful reviews that had been left for this story and I thought I'd try to do this again. My motivation and inspiration comes from you all. Thank you! I truly hope that you'll still feel that this story is worth returning to.

That said, I've taken down all 6 chapters so that I could fix all the little discrepancies I had made (a long-overdue task) in order to edit and repost them. For those who had never read this fic, the inspiration was originally taken from one of the earlier episodes where Inuyasha had pushed Kagome back into the well because he didn't want her to get hurt during their adventures. What if he, with his stubborn mindset, never went back to retrieve her? My fic takes a twist from that idea and spins the consequence of Inuyasha's actions.

**Important Note:** Since this fic was written fairly early on in the series compared to all that's happened in the recent storyline, it will probably be far from canon. There are parts in my story that I had planned out at a time when these things had not yet been touched upon in the actual series, so they were all made-up by me. And because I'm very far from being caught up with the series, I'm not even going to bother to change my original plot to conform with what's canon and such. Please keep this in mind when reading my fic. Also, the third movie or whatever else did not happen in this story, and any similarities or parallels are probably a result of coincidence. When in doubt, just follow the story as it is written? I hope that won't deter anyone from enjoying what I have planned for Sesshoumaru and Kagome!

**Summary:** It's been almost four years since Kagome was sent back to her own time with no way of going back to the feudal era. Now, at the age of 19, she's about to find that she's once again connected to the past somehow. Sess/Kagome.

**Disclaimer:** Applicable to the entire fic. Somehow, I find it difficult that anyone would believe me even if I claim to own Inuyasha. But in case anyone has any doubts, I make no claims for Inuyasha. (no, really?) All recognizable elements belong to Rumiko Takahashi and whoever else. The only character I might have any remote claim to is Juro, since he's an OC.

..............................

**destiny:  
1.** the inevitable or necessary fate to which a particular person or thing is destined; one's lot.  
**2.** a predetermined course of events often held to be an irresistible power or agency.  
**3.** the power or agency thought to predetermine events

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**Prelude: A Time of Before and After**

They say every story has a beginning and an ending.

But there is also a belief that talks of how the world moves in a whirlwind of cause and effect, of action and reaction where one thing inevitably leads to another. It makes you wonder how much of what you do is really yours alone; where the choices made by others end and where yours truly begin.

It gives time an odd quality, turning it into an intangible existence that had no beginning and no ending. It goes on, the essence of our actions and our decisions. It becomes embedded in the _before_ and the _after_, forever changing the paths that are given to us. It becomes a cycle of time that keeps going.

Kagome had never given destiny much thought. That's not to say that she didn't believe in such a thing. She just didn't think she had one. And then it found her.

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Repost: June 23, 2006. The story begins with chapter 1.


	2. The Mark of Time

**Author's Note:** For those of you who remembered this fanfic from 3 years ago and was taken directly here from ffnet's update alert, please refer to the previous chapter for my notes on the status of this fic, as well as, a new and short prelude that was added. The following is an edited version of my original chapter 1, with some necessary changes made and details added. I wonder how many of you will remember what edits I've made! Truth be told, I'm rather nervous about starting up this story again and I can only hope that I can still manage to regenerate some of the old interest that you guys had given this fic in the past. The remaining 5 chapters is also in the process of revision, and I'll try to update with them soon so that I can finally bring this story back to life.

* * *

**Cycles of Destiny**  
by Téa

Chapter 1: The Mark of Time

_Just when you believe the story has ended, then it truly begins._

Juro knelt at his father's hidden, massive grave with his head bowed low. Coming tomorrow, he would be setting out on his journey to meet the woman that he had missed all these years. He was going to go see his mother. Juro gazed down at the shining pink jewel fragment on his hand before enclosing his fist tightly around it. The Shikon no Tama. His mother had given it to him before she passed on to the spiritual realm. She had told him that it was the key to the cycle, but he did not completely understand what she had meant at the time. That was, not until recently.

Times were changing rapidly now. He could feel it in the air and sense it all around him. The past was catching up and he was beginning to see signs of it overlapping with the present. And soon, the future would be completely altered to the point at which he would cease to exist. He needed to find his mother soon, before it was too late. Lifting his head up, Juro looked towards the crescent moon that graced the sky...the very same shape that adorned his own forehead. It was a symbol of his heritage, the proud mark of his birthright.

Glancing back down, Juro allowed his eyes to peer intently at his arm. Lately, he sometimes saw the flicker of invisibility strike his body. The cycle of time was churning, and it was catching up. He only hoped that he would be able to accomplish what his mother, in unspoken words, had set out for him to do when she gave him this jewel shard.

Turning to kneel at his father's grave once more, Juro bid his silent good-bye. Then picking up his swords, he got up and left the enchanted grounds where his father's bones rested.

...............

"Bye, Kagome! See you tomorrow!"

Higurashi Kagome cheerfully waved back at her friends and watched as they disappeared around the corner, leaving behind them only echoes of their laughter trailing away. She stood there a moment longer, staring at the empty street as her smile faltered and faded altogether. Then with a soft sigh, Kagome finally turned around to walk the familiar path she took everyday to get home.

As with so many nights, she found her gaze straying over to the vibrant moon that illuminated the dark sky. It was a night of the full moon, when he would be at his strongest. But before she could dwell on it further, she shook the thought free and silently willed herself to look away. It was stupid, she knew. Even after all these years, when it no longer mattered, Kagome continued to pay attention to the cycles of the moon. It was like a force of habit that refused to break, and she wondered if the moon would always remind her of him for the rest of her life.

Softly, almost as though she was experimenting with its pronunciation, Kagome whispered, "Inu...yasha."

It was strange, how foreign the name sounded to her ears, and yet it was a name that had played in her mind so often throughout the years. Almost four years ago, to be exact...ever since she was pushed into the well by Inuyasha as he snatched the Shikon no Tama shards from her neck. Even now, she could still remember so clearly, the shock she felt as her body materialized on to the present world.

For one short moment, he had embraced her fiercely. Then before she could even fully comprehend the meaning of his sudden gesture, he had already sent her hurling backwards down the well as she stared at him in panic. Her initial reaction upon arriving in the present had been annoyance and confusion, but what ultimately surprised her the most was the realization that she was no longer able to use the well as a time portal to the Feudal Era. She had climbed up and dropped back in, clawed at the dirt until her fingers started to bleed...and still, the well refused to let her through. It was her grandfather who eventually found her curled up at the bottom of the well, sobbing into her bloody hands, that carried her home.

At first, she became increasingly angry at Inuyasha for stealing the Shikon shards from her, believing that he had tricked her. And then she had felt the tormenting hurt as she was forced to admit that he wasn't coming back for her this time. It made her bitter that he came and went as he pleased, yelling at her for needing to go home every so often...and then when she had finally settled into her journey in the Feudal Era, he had shoved her away without an explanation. Without even a mere good-bye. Did she mean that little to him? But no matter how many times she wanted to hate him for what he did, a part of her deep down inside knew that he had only done what he did for her own good. He wanted her to be safe, and she wanted to hate him for not giving her a choice.

Still, it was many months later, before it finally sunk in that she would never be able to go back again. She knew it wasn't possible without the Shikon shards, yet her heart wouldn't allow her to let it go. Countless times, she had leapt into the well while telling herself that it would be the last time. That _this_ time, it would work...but the only thing her determined attempts had ever gained her was tears and more pain. It got to the point where she couldn't even look at her family in the face for the fear of seeing the pity that was so evident in their eyes. They had never come right out and said anything to her, but she saw it in the way they looked at her when they thought she wasn't paying attention. They thought she was wasting her time, and she didn't blame them for believing so.

And now, almost four years had passed by in a blur. The days continued to roll onwards, and her life had gone on without waiting for her. Somehow, she had managed to graduate from high school and complete her first year at the local university. She had long since buried the memories so deep inside her that she could barely recall those months with much clarity anymore. Yet the pain remained, and the emotions she had felt still clung to her so vividly. She could still feel the constant despair and utter loneliness creeping under her skin, just waiting to consume her. She was leading a life that didn't feel like hers, and the gaping hole in her heart just kept expanding. Perhaps in this surreal pretense at living, it seemed almost natural that Kagome had made the decision to leave Japan.

Kagome had stood in front of a bulletin board at the university, the slip of paper that offered her a way out staring back at her. For something done so quickly and without thought, making the decision to sign up for the student-exchange program was one of the most difficult choices she had ever made. By leaving Japan and the shrine, she knew she was indirectly giving up all hope of ever going back to the past. But she needed to get away from the haunting of possibilities and what ifs. She wanted to forget. She wanted her time at the Feudal Era to become tales and legends that had never happened.

...............

Kagome could see the shrine come into view as she slowly climbed up the steps that led to her house, her chest tightening faintly as it so often did at its sight. Involuntarily, her gaze gravitated towards the God Tree and she momentarily thought about how odd it was that Inuyasha was sealed on that very same tree 500 years ago. It made her wonder what would've happened if she hadn't been dragged in through the well by that centipede demon and ended up releasing him from Kikyou's seal. Briefly, Kagome entertained the idea of Inuyasha still pinned to the tree till this day and stifled a snort at the mental image she conjured up in her head. Tourists from all over the world would travel to the Higurashi Shrine just to pet the ears of the residential slumbering human-dog. She could almost picture Inuyasha's annoyed expression, and the thought made the corner of her lips lift up in a melancholic smile.

Shaking her head slightly at her own silly musings, Kagome prodded her feet along the path towards her home. She could see the light shining through the front window and was vaguely wondering if her mom had saved her leftovers from dinner when she thought she saw a blur of white out among the trees. Whipping her head around, Kagome peered into the darkness for any signs of what she could've possibly seen just now. She stood completely still, every muscle in her body tensing up and all her senses narrowing down at the heavy air that suddenly surrounded the area. The hairs at the nape of her neck prickled nervously, and her breath caught so abruptly she almost chocked in panic. _No...it can't be._

With eyes wide and frantic, Kagome slowly edged towards the God Tree against the warning bells going off in her head. It just wasn't possible, she told herself, but the distinctive presence of the Shikon no Tama shard was palpable. Swallowing hard, she carefully called out, "Hello..? Is anyone out there?"

When no answer came, she almost wondered if she had finally gone crazy from desperation. Then she froze in her steps altogether as the dark silhouette of a figure came into view, and her mind exploded. Kagome could almost taste the fear in her mouth as she stood there trembling and rooted to the ground. This person possessed a Shikon shard, she was positive of it, though every part of her screamed at her that it was impossible for the Shikon no Tama to materialize in her world again. Somewhere at the back of her mind, Kagome tried to get her feet to move far far away from this insanity.

As though the person had sensed her fear and train of thoughts, he moved forward slowly and said in a gentle, deep voice, "Please don't be afraid. There's no way I could hurt you."

There was a moment of stunned silence as the young man stepped out from behind the shadows, and then Kagome gasped. Piercing golden eyes met her blue ones, and she stumbled backwards clumsily from the forceful impact of recognition. But it wasn't him. It wasn't Inuyasha, and the mixture of disappointment, relief, and fear was so potent that the world seemed to almost shift before her eyes. The resemblance was so apparent that she was abruptly assaulted with memories of the hanyou, and she couldn't do anything but wait...for what, she didn't know.

The man had the same familiar long, beautiful silver-white hair flowing gently down his back and his eyes were of the same shade as Inuyasha's. Yet now, as Kagome paid closer attention, she saw that his eyes were narrower with hints of sorrow as opposed to the rebellious and innocent quality of Inuyasha's rounder orbs. Disturbed by how similar and different the two were, she slowly took in the rest of his appearance and immediately noticed that though he was not dressed like the typical youth on the streets of Tokyo these days, the pieces of his clothing were still unmistakably modern. He was in an all-white ensemble, with his wide drawstring pants and a simple long-sleeved shirt fitting him loosely. He also sported two swords on his hip, and Kagome suddenly had the ridiculous notion that they were none other than the Tessaiga and the Tenseiga. Shaking her head firmly, she reminded herself that the two legendary swords were now exactly just that...a legend. It had belonged to two bickering brothers, an old story of the past that was of no importance to her life. Kagome reminded herself that the well was sealed, and she was going to leave it all behind by studying abroad.

Raising her head in steely boldness, she met the eyes of the stranger once more and quietly asked, "Who are you, and why do you have a Shikon no Tama shard?"

A pregnant pause filled the air, and then all at once, the young man knelt down on one knee. With his head bowed low in deep respect, he seemed to hesitate before he finally replied so softly that she almost didn't catch it.

"The Shikon shard that I, Juro, have in my possession was given to me by you, My Lady."

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**Revision completed on June 24, 2006.** Reviews and thoughts are always greatly loved. It's because of them that I find myself starting this up again, so thank you all for giving me that spurt of motivation. :) Also, if anyone wants to talk to me about the fic and you have an LJ account, then please feel free to stop by my writing community at _inkcanvas_.


	3. The Familiar Stranger

**Author's Note:** It has occurred to me that I haven't read any Sess/Kag fics in years. I have no idea what people are writing these days...which makes me wonder if that's a good or a bad thing. I worry that the ideas I had for my fic have since become one big cliché in the fandom today. It's a scary thought. :p

I also just want to say a great thank you to everyone who reviewed, new and old readers. While I realize that I've most likely lost a majority of my old readers, it still means a great deal that a few of you remembered and stuck by. :)

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**Cycles of Destiny**  
by Téa

Chapter 2: The Familiar Stranger

_Only after you've lived through it all does time finally reveal its ambiguous self._

Kagome was distantly aware of how absurd the turn of events had become, but she just couldn't properly react to the young man who remained kneeling on the ground in front of her. Her mind was still reeling from his oddly respectful way of addressing her and the bizarre response he had given her, and she desperately tried to grab at a thought that she could anchor herself to. Nothing made any sense at all.

Shaking her head slowly, Kagome opened her mouth only to clamp it shut again. After what felt like an eternity compressed in one short moment, she finally whispered haltingly, "That's...that's impossible. I couldn't have given it to you."

When only silence greeted her, she tried once more to assert some reason into the situation. "I haven't had any Shikon shards with me for years. You must've mistaken me for someone else. I...I don't even know who you are."

Apparently, her words were finally provoking a response because he seemed to flinch just a little before he lifted his head and stared at her. And as the moonlight shone across his face, her heart lurched in her chest at the sight of the mark that graced his forehead. "Wha-"

Kagome tried to fumble for the right words, but Juro's gaze only intensified. "Don't you?" he asked. "Don't you know who I am?"

Confusion shrouded her for a moment, and she realized she had no _right_ answer for him. The way he was looking at her was making it increasingly difficult to sort out her thoughts. She couldn't deny that he was becoming more and more familiar to her, but she was also more positive than ever that she had never met him in the whole 18 years and 10 months of her life. His white hair and golden eyes strongly reminded her of Inuyasha, though it was the crescent moon on his forehead that kept drawing her attention. She'd be able to recognize it anywhere. After all, her life was in great risk of perishing the last time she had seen that mark. It was almost identical to Sesshoumaru's, except the color of Sesshoumaru's mark was midnight blue while Juro's shade was closer to that of a brilliant sapphire. It seemed natural for Kagome to automatically search his cheeks and wrists for talon marks, but she found none and she couldn't decide if she was relieved or disappointed.

Juro appeared to have noticed her unspoken question, and he simply supplied, "I don't have any other marks on my body except for this symbol of my birthright."

All resemblance aside, his words still took her by surprise. _Birthright_, Kagome thought and then shuddered. She wanted to ask him if he was related to Sesshoumaru, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to know. It wouldn't bode well in the least if he was indeed related to Inuyasha's cold youkai brother. It could only mean an imminent danger to her safety, and she would rather not have her fears confirmed under the given circumstances.

Cautiously, Kagome asked, "What is a youkai like you doing here with a Shikon no Tama shard?" Then as an afterthought, she quickly added, "And please stand up. I don't know who you think I am, but you don't need to do that."

He said nothing, but her mind eased somewhat when he unfolded himself gracefully to his full height. _He's tall_, she noted nervously, _and unnaturally beautiful like Sesshoumaru_. And then her thoughts were sliced in half as he said, "It is prudent to know that I'm not a youkai. I am a hanyou."

"Hanyou?" she echoed dumbly. He had declared it in a tone that suggested he was proud of his heritage, and somehow, that threw Kagome completely off kilter. During her journey to the Feudal Era, she had never once heard one utter the word hanyou with pride. It made all her memories of Inuyasha break loose in her head, and his name slipped past her lips before she could contain it.

Juro's gaze softened. He seemed to search her face for something that only he appeared to see when he finally murmured, "My mother always said he was a great hanyou."

"You know Inuyasha." It was no longer a question. Her vision teetered sideways, and she could feel all the blood drain from her face. "Just who exactly _are _you?"

A shadow crossed his face briefly, and then all emotions seemed to dissolve from his face as he carefully replied, "He was my uncle, but I do not know him."

"Your uncle," she repeated. He had only answered one half of her question, but she suddenly realized that it told her everything. With a delirious laugh, she said, "You can't be _Sesshoumaru's_ son."

Juro remained quiet, his eyes fixed on her, neither confirming nor denying her statements. It infuriated her, how this man could walk right into her life and make these ludicrous claims, expecting her to believe them. And she almost did...almost wanted to believe him. It reminded her of how lonely she was, of how desperate she still was to be _connected _in some way. It was unbearably cruel.

With hands clenched, Kagome stepped forward and glared at the stranger in front of her. "What do you want?" Angry tears brimmed her eyes and she swiped at them fiercely. "You should've done your research a little better. Sesshoumaru does not have a son, and even if he did, it would never be a hanyou. He despises humans."

But either Juro had nothing to say or he refused to give her a reaction, because he continued to stand there watching her as though he was waiting for a child to calm down. It was maddening, and all at once, it became too much for her. A strangled sob escaped her lips, and she staggered back.

"Why are you doing this?" It was ridiculous, the grief she still felt. "I wasn't supposed to-" _I wasn't supposed to think about it anymore, _she wanted to say._ I wasn't supposed to _want _it anymore._

..._  
_

It was more difficult than he had thought, seeing the tears streak down Kagome's cheeks as she stared at him with those hateful eyes. Juro watched her, his face never betraying a trace of emotion, but he wanted, more than anything, to take her in his arms and comfort her the way she had with him when he was still a child. He had to keep reminding himself that at this point in time, he was just a stranger who stirred up memories of a past she wished to leave behind.

Even knowing all this, it still hurt to see his mother this way...to see him and not know who he was. It was disconcerting, how different she seemed, and it took him a while to pin it down. _Her eyes._ The echo of dull empty pain that hadn't been there when she used to smile down at him, so full of vibrant life. Frowning slightly, Juro realized she was changing slowly even as they spoke. If he didn't do something about it soon, the future would begin to change with her and then it would be too late. He glanced down, cold dread washing over him at the wavering sight of his transclucent body. _It's happening_, he distantly observed. _Time is running out and I'm disappearing..._

Juro closed his eyes and forced himself to focus. He could not afford to waste more time than he already did. Whether she was ready or not, he needed to get his mother to listen to him. The more she refused to acknowledge her role in the past, the sooner he would disappear and cease to exist in this world. And everything as he knew it would crumble and fade away like faint whispers uttered in the passing wind. He couldn't allow that to happen, he couldn't- and then it happened almost immediately, the moment condensing in a pressured ball and expanding across the chasm of time.

Juro saw his mother's eyes widen in fright, and he realized in dismay that he had sensed the movement behind him a moment too late. Pushing at the balls of his feet, he sprung around just as he felt something pierce through his chest and he noted faintly, that Kagome had screamed.

Stumbling backwards from the sudden pain, he barely had time to react before the attacking leopard youkai swiped at him again with its claws. It missed, and Juro's eyes narrowed in cold anger. The youkai would not be so lucky as to strike him again; he would make sure of it. In one rushed movement, he leapt back and pulled Kagome into his arms before soaring high above the trees. He landed a short distance away in the clearing to the side of her house and bent down to release her, but she clutched at his shirt in alarm.

Kagome stared at the blood on her fingers. "You- you're hurt!"

Juro touched her arm and looked into her eyes intently. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine, but we don't have time. You _must _hurry and go back!"

He let go of her then and quickly straightened himself in preparation for the advancing leopard youkai. Juro silently cursed at himself for being so distracted that he did not even sense the lesser youkai's presence until it was too late. _Father would be disappointed_, he mused humorlessly. Narrowing his eyes predatorily at the youkai, he stood there and waited for its approach. The leopard would regret ever trying to attack him and his mother. Smiling grimly, he took great pleasure in that thought.

Kagome sat on the ground in a haze and watched, almost detachedly, the way Juro sped forward in a blur of white. _Go back? ...Where?_ She almost missed the way he slammed the leopard's neck on the tree, how the youkai was torn into shreds with one deft swipe of Juro's claws. It made her head swim in a dizzying fog. _Sesshoumaru...he fights like Sesshoumaru_. But the thought had barely registered itself when she became distracted by a loud crashing sound to her right. Turning instinctively, Kagome felt her stomach take a dive in freezing water. Her mother had stepped out of the house with Souta, and there...a large scorpion youkai appeared out of the air, charging in their direction.

_No...no no no! Not them!_ Leaping to her feet, Kagome ran towards them and screamed, "Mama! Souta! Get away from there!"

She pushed her feet forward frantically, but she didn't get very far when she felt her body shoved to the side as white flashed past her. Tumbling hard on to the ground, Kagome watched in horror as the monstrous youkai picked Souta off the ground and sunk its spiked tail through her brother's small frame. The poison sizzled and burned him, and she thought she was going to be sick. Then it happened so fast that Kagome could only stare as Juro unsheathed one of his swords and leapt up high above the scorpion youkai. It was immediate, the transformation of the fang, and her eyes widened at its sight. He struck down sure; the youkai dissipating upon contact, too quick for cries of pain.

"Tessaiga," she whispered senselessly.

Kagome sat there, momentarily stunned at the sight of Inuyasha's sword when her mother's piercing cries pulled her harshly back to reality. _Souta_. Picking herself up, she ran towards her mother. _No, please, no_. The image of her mother cradling her younger brother and sobbing into his lifeless body drove the dread home, and she was almost afraid to touch them for the fear of turning it real. Painful sobs tore from her chest, and she shut her eyes tightly. It couldn't be happening. Youkai were a thing of the past, Inuyasha had made sure of that. It was the only comforting thought she had hung on to these past years.

How did everything get so horribly _wrong _in such a short period of time? How was it that youkai were appearing out of nowhere?

A thousand thoughts flitted through her head in a fathomless tangle of nothingness, and she felt someone touch her shoulder lightly. Raising her head up, Kagome found a pair of golden eyes silently gazing at her with the heaviness of sorrow. With just the tiniest pressure, he urged her aside and Kagome mutely watched Juro bend down to speak softly to her mother. She watched it all in numb detachment- her mother letting go of Souto and stepping backwards, the bluish white light that emanated from the sword Juro had drawn as he gracefully swiped two arcs at the air above Souta. And then she saw it so briefly she wondered if she was imagining them, the flickering outline of imp-like creatures hovering hungrily over her brother's body before they melted away, screeching from the light that struck them.

Trembling violently, Kagome heard herself speak, "This was all your fault." Juro turned to her, his expression shuttered and sword still on hand. Her voice was harsh from grief, and she lashed out blindly, "You brought them here! The youkai...you made-"

"Kagome!" her mother cried in surprise. "Souta...he's-"

Souta stirred then, and she stilled. His eyes opened in a confused daze, and Kagome was dimly aware of how the gaping hole in his chest had completely healed itself. Everything fell together in a convoluted mess, and understanding dawned in her mind even as she struggled to grasp at the fact that her brother was alive again.

Kagome stared at the stranger who stood so agonizingly familiar before her eyes. "Those creatures..." Blinking once, her eyes glittered strangely and she breathed, "You have the Tenseiga."

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**Revision completed on June 26, 2006.** Um...does Kagome appear OOC to you? I realize that it's difficult to keep characters IC when it comes to imagining them in situations that has never happened in the actual series, but I hope I'm not too much off the mark. On another note, I hope this chapter wasn't too confusing for those who are reading this fic for the first time. Things do clear up a bit more later- I think! Doing revisions have made me realize how difficult it was for me to write this chapter back then (and even now), mostly due to all the unexplained things that happened in a row towards the end. Ah, I've never had a beta to help review my work, because I'd probably drive the person insane...but I'm beginning to wonder if I should find one. :p


	4. The Clashing of the Past

**Author's Note:** First things first, a few answers to some questions. In regards to when Sesshoumaru and Kagome are going to meet- that will be happening in the next chapter when our dashing youkai finally makes his entrance. ;) As to when they're going to "get together"...I can't say at this point, but I'll have to admit that it won't be soon. I do worry that I'm focusing too much on development that I end up being too wordy sometimes...so I promise I'll try to only include descriptions that I hold to be important (though everyone's opinion about what's important will probably vary). _Do_ you think I'm too wordy in telling the story?

Also, to _mou_, who mentioned that Tenseiga could only be wielded by a full youkai (and hence Juro shouldn't be able to use it): I admit I panicked a little when I read that, because I thought that tidbit may have been covered later in the series where I have yet to catch up to. But then I checked around with friends who read the manga and was told that it was never mentioned to work that way? I suppose there isn't much I can do at this point if Tenseiga really can only be used by a full youkai, however, I just wanted to explain a little bit about my thoughts on the swords. I personally have always thought that Tenseiga and Tessaiga is more about the essence and nature of the master rather than the actual blood. Wasn't it always emphasized that Tenseiga requires compassion and the heart to cherish in order to master it, while Tessaiga can only be wielded by someone who has the need/desire to protect something important? In that sense, my theory has always been that it isn't really about what kind of blood one may have. So on that note, this belief of mine is the premise in which this story is based on (at least in terms of the swords). If that theory has been shot to hell by Rumiko Takahashi, then I'm sorry to say that my fanfic will be even more "un-canon" than it already is. In that case, I can only hope that these discrepancies can be overlooked without taking away any enjoyment to the story.

And I'm sure you all think that's more than enough rambling on my part. I hope you'll like this chapter!

* * *

**Cycles of Destiny**  
by Téa

Chapter 3: The Clashing of the Past

_Sometimes, the only beginning lies in the end._

Kagome had so many questions that she needed answers to. Like why there were youkai suddenly appearing in her time. Or who Juro was and why he had Tenseiga with him. And then, most of all, there was Tessaiga.

Just as Tenseiga had belonged to Sesshoumaru, Tessaiga had belonged to Inuyasha...and she couldn't understand how this stranger could come to have these two swords in his possession. She wanted to ask him, but the words wouldn't come. Countless experiences had told her that Inuyasha would've never willingly give up Tessaiga, and Kagome couldn't bring herself to consider the only possibility that pulled at the back of her mind. She wondered, as she had craved to know for so long, how the last four years had treated Inuyasha.

_Do you know?_ she wanted to ask him.

Kagome searched Juro's face, needing to find answers for questions she couldn't voice; but even as she ached for them, she knew she would never find what she looked for. And though his demeanor remained impassive, there was a certain sadness in his eyes that made her heart weigh heavily. _What do you know?_ she wanted to say.

Instead, she called out to him, "Juro..."

His name rolled off her tongue easily, and she was caught unaware, the sense of instinctive familiarity washing over her. She studied his features quietly, hesitated, and finally murmured, "I do know you from somewhere, don't I?"

He didn't answer, but somehow, she didn't expect him to. Biting down on her lips, Kagome lowered her gaze and nodded. From the corner of her eyes, she could see Souta staring at Juro in hushed awe, and it made her smile almost wistfully.

"Thank you," she said, softly, "for saving Souta...and for helping us."

Kagome felt terrible for the things she had said to him. She had blamed him when he was only trying to help, and now she didn't know how to repay him for what he did. She eyed the blood on his shirt and winced. She had completely forgotten that he was injured from the leopard youkai's attack. Without thought, Kagome reached forward to gauge the seriousness of his wound when she suddenly jerked her hand back harshly. Her fingers had gone right through him.

Juro stared at the clear astonishment etched on Kagome's features and glanced down at his body. He held his arms out in front of him and found that he could almost see through them. His entire existence seemed to shimmer before it shuddered and solidified itself once more. Things were changing too rapidly; they didn't have much time left. Their earlier interruptions had only served to confirm it further. And for the first time that night, it truly hit him that he was standing in front of his mother.

It was almost too overwhelming to take at once...how his mother, whom had been dead for years, was actually there again in her youthful form. Even as he knew it would be foolish to do so, he yearned with such greatness to spend just a few more moments with her. For over a century, he had wandered the world alone until the circle of time would finally catch up to this moment, and he tried to remind himself of the words his mother had left him. He couldn't falter right when it truly mattered. She had entrusted him with this, and if there was any a time to keep his strength, it would be now.

Kagome thought she saw the slight edge of panic flare in Juro's eyes, and it was making her worry because he hadn't said a word at all. Looking down at her own hands, she remembered the cold sensation of her fingers passing through his body and she almost had to wonder if he was a ghost. "Juro, what-"

Her words died abruptly in her throat as Juro cut her off and hurriedly said, "The cycle of time is clashing together even as we speak." He gripped her arm as though he was willing her to understand. "You _must_ go back to the Feudal Era at once."

Without waiting for an answer, Juro reached around his neck to reveal a plain silver necklace. Removing it quickly, he stepped forward and fastened it around Kagome's neck. "This will guide you," he said, firmly. "It will take you to where you need to be."

_What?_ Kagome glanced down in confusion and fingered the necklace Juro had just given her. In place of a pendant, she saw that the chain held an elaborate key with dark red jewels engraved in the shape of a crescent moon. Next to the key, there was a small shard of the Shikon no Tama that had also been strung on to the necklace. With eyebrows furrowed, Kagome peered uneasily at the Shikon shard. It was not supposed to be there, and yet there it was...nestled between her collarbone, waiting to take her back to a past that she had tried so hard to bury.

Raising her eyes to meet Juro's golden ones, she stuttered, "I- I don't understand..."

But instead of responding to her plea for answers, Juro looked away to the distant sky and narrowed his eyes almost imperceptibly. His whole body tensed up immediately as he sensed the rift of time heading their way in an alarming speed. The signs were coming stronger with each passing minute, and a part of him suddenly feared that he would fail.

Placing Kagome behind him, Juro said in a clipped voice, "It comes."

It was instantaneous, and Kagome gasped at the immense pressure of youki that loomed over them. It was hideously oppressive, and she wondered how she could've missed it earlier. There, from the direction of the shrine, an entire army of youkai rushed towards them through the sky in a massive blur of colors and shapes.

_Oh my God,_ her mind supplied faintly. There must've been at least a hundred of them, and for a moment, Kagome thought she was seeing things. One minute, there was nothing, and the next, swarms of them had appeared out of nowhere. It was the same with the scorpion and the leopard youkai, she now realized. There was no approach or warning of any kind. These youkai had simply emerged out of the atmosphere itself, and had she not known better, she would've thought Naraku was the mastermind behind these assaults. But at the root of it all, the fact remains that Naraku was a person from a time long passed; he could not have appeared in her time. He would've died by now. Yet, she was plagued with doubts.

_Has Inuyasha defeated him...yet?_

Stepping backwards instinctively, Kagome shook her thoughts free. The youkai were nearing in a fearsome pace, and this wasn't a time for such questions. The answers would have to wait. Quickly, she turned to push her mother and Souta further back. The paleness of their shocked faces registered in her mind, and it struck her that they had never experienced anything even remotely like this. With a surge of protectiveness, Kagome wished she had her bow and arrow with her. In the face of a youkai attack, she felt sorely inadequate without the only weapon she knew how to use.

And yet, it was just merely seconds later when she saw that she did not need them at all. That was the last coherent thought Kagome had before her mind went completely blank as she witnessed a sight so extraordinary- something that would make her ponder for a long time to come, the true meaning of the brother swords.

...............

Juro stood tall and still as he carefully assessed the enemies' rapid advancement. Shifting one foot back, he bent his knees and calmly moved his hands to rest on the hilt of his swords. He would need to eliminate them as quickly and efficiently as possible, but above all, he knew he had to take extra care in keeping the enchanted well free from damage. Tightening his grip decisively on the swords, Juro slowly drew them out of their sheaths with his right hand wielding Tessaiga and his left the Tenseiga. Pointing the swords straight at the swarms of youkai, he brought them together almost parallel to each other until he felt them sing. A predacious grin pulled at his lips, and he waited. In his eyes, they were all already dead.

_It's breathtaking_, Kagome thought, as she marveled at the two swords pulsing side by side. It was as though they were uniting together; if she listened carefully, she could almost hear the powerful vibration of energy they each emitted. Time seemed to speed up and slow down all at once as she watched Juro soar several feet off the ground, swinging Tessaiga in a wide, graceful arc and steadily gaining momentum as he went.

It was entrancing, the way his silvery hair flowed gently around his body with the moonlight basking the delicate features of his upturned face. The air stilled then, and with a slight spin of his body, Juro slammed the sword down hard on to the earth. The ground shook, but a split second later, Tenseiga followed in its brother's steps and connected with the cracks that had formed from Tessaiga's Kaze no Kizu attack. The immediate glow of blue light that sprang from Tenseiga was magnificent as it chased the widening crevasse fanning out towards the band of youkai.

The Wound of the Wind raced forward menacingly, cutting through everything that stood on its path, and Kagome had to cover her ears at the shrieking of the youkai that pierced the air. The force of impact trembled outwards in distressing ripples and knocked her off her feet, sending her sprawling backwards in shock. Blinking rapidly, Kagome had not even realized that she had shut her eyes until she was opening them again.

The youkai...they were all gone, dissipated into nothingness and leaving behind them only the echoes of their cries as the wind carried their sound away. Distantly, she heard her mother and Souta gasping behind her, and she didn't blame them. Even as familiar as she was with the execution of the Kaze no Kizu, the sight that greeted Kagome as she raised her head was something she had never expected to see.

The destruction brought by Tessaiga almost seemed to whirl admist the remains of the attack, hovering in place for one brief moment before Tenseiga's radiance washed over them and temporarily blinded her. Kagome raised her hand to shield the brilliant glow that blazed forward, and when it finally settled down, she felt her lips part in wonderment at her surroundings. The traces of ruins caused by the Kaze no Kizu had hummed before vanishing altogether. Everything was as it were before the youkai appeared- the shrine house was intact, the gashes on the ground gone, and the trees stood tall with their leaves whistling in the wind. The damage that Tessaiga had delivered was in turn given life once more by Tenseiga, and all but the youkai remained behind and unchanged.

Kagome wanted to say something...anything at all, but the scene before her had absolutely rendered her speechless. Several times, she opened her mouth only to close it again, and she had the vague impression that she must look like a fish. The swords, Tessaiga and Tenseiga- she had never seen them work that way before. Then again, Tessaiga and Tenseiga had each belonged to masters who clashed against each other horribly. The chance to recognize their capabilities in unity were practically inconceivable.

_Was this what they were meant to do_, she wanted to ask Juro, _or was this something you had thought of on your own?_

Kagome stared at Juro in awe as she took the hand he had offered to get her back on her feet. He didn't meet her eyes, choosing instead to look towards the full moon. In a quiet voice, he said, "I suggest you bid your farewells to your family now. You will not see them again for a long time to come."

When Kagome still remained unmoving, he turned to her unceremoniously and cried out in anguish, "Please! You must go now, back to the Feudal Era before it's too late. You saw the increasing attacks of the youkai. I will not be able to protect you all much longer if you don't go!"

Kagome jumped a little at his outburst. Perhaps it was the frantic urgency in his usually calm voice that set off the alarms in her head, but she turned to face the concerned expressions of her family. "Mama, Souta..."

Reading Kagome's face knowingly, her mother's eyes cleared up in kind understanding as she smiled softly. "Go, Kagome. Don't worry about us. You're a young woman now, with your own life to lead." Pausing a little, she chuckled and added, "The only regret I would have is that we'll miss your 19th birthday."

"Oh, Mama..." Kagome's eyes welled up at her mother's words, and she rushed forward to hug her tightly. "I don't know if-"

Her mother hushed her before she could say anything more, and then she turned to Souta. "Why don't you go and retrieve it for your sister?" she simply said to him.

Souta nodded and took off into the house, leaving Kagome to look at her mother in question. But her mother only leaned close to brush lightly at the wispy strands of Kagome's hair. There was a moment of silence until her mother, with a gentle smile, spoke again. "It looks like your journey has not yet come to an end, so go, Kagome. Go do what you must finish. A part of you had always wanted to go back, no?"

Kagome's lips trembled. Her mother knew, she thought. Her mother had always understood what she was going through even though she had shut everyone out. _I never realized..._ She saw Souta run back out of the house then, and her tears spilled down her cheeks in full force at last. In his hands, was her old and battered yellow backpack. She never told anyone, but she had always kept it packed and ready, even long after she had given up on trying to go back. _They knew,_ she thought again and wished belatedly, that she had allowed them to be there for her when she was grieving.

Smiling through her tears, Kagome reached forward blindly and embraced her mother once more. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice full of emotion.

Her mother squeezed her shoulders briefly and nodded encouragingly. Hastily swiping at her tears, Kagome turned to face Souta and pulled him into her arms. "Be good and take care of Mama and Grandpa like a grown man, you hear? And say bye to Grandpa for me too, will you?"

Souta looked pained, but he straightened his shoulders in brave resolve, and it almost made Kagome cry all over again. She moved to take her backpack from him, but he suddenly gripped her arm in panic. Pausing, she gently asked, "What is it, Souta?"

He looked at her, his teeth clenched tightly, and then he finally blurted, "Please be careful when you get there, okay, Nee-chan? The youkai-" His voice cracking in mid-sentence, Souta balled his hands in a fist and stared at the ground, almost angrily.

Kagome's gaze softened, and she touched his head playfully. He swatted it away in annoyance, and she smiled at him fondly. It was amazing how much he had grown; he was almost as tall as her now. "Thanks, Souta...I will," she murmured.

With one last word of good-bye, Kagome took a calming breath and turned to nod at Juro. She didn't know what was waiting for her in the future of her past, but she felt curiously at peace. She believed- _needed_ to trust -that everything would be okay in the end. She would not lie; the implication of Juro's words frightened her but she knew it was important somehow. If the evidence of youkai appearing in her world couldn't convince her, Kagome didn't know what would.

Silently, Juro knelt and beckoned for Kagome to climb on. It was only a short distance to the shrine that held the Bone Eater's Well, but he could smell the faint youki in the air and he felt better having her close by. When Kagome hesitated, Juro merely explained, "It's faster this way. We don't have time."

Frowning, Kagome clambered clumsily on to Juro's back, not failing to feel the sense of déja vu. And with the reminder, came the true weight of the realization in what she was about to do. _I'm really going back_, she thought and rolled the strange idea around in her head. Was she actually going to see Inuyasha again? Would he be happy to see her? And her friends...were they all waiting on the otherside for her to go back? Taking a deep, shaky breath, Kagome told herself that there was no point in thinking about it now. She would just have to deal with things as they come. _And that is that_, she chastised herself.

They had barely taken off towards the shrine house when Kagome recognized a few weaker youkai surfacing out of the air again. In the blur of Juro's speed, she barely caught what was happening in front of her as he easily slashed through them, all the while never breaking a stride. Straining her neck to look back at Souta and her mother standing by the house, Kagome silently prayed that they would be okay.

Noticing Kagome's concern, Juro softly reassured her, "They appear here directly because they're attracted by the Shikon fragment around your neck, but everything should soon return to its rightful state after you leave. I won't let them harm your family in the meantime."

Kagome worried a corner of her lips anxiously, but nodded anyway even though he couldn't see her. Something else tugged at the back of her mind, but she couldn't quite place what it was. "Juro...why are they even here? Youkai aren't supposed to exist in this time."

"They do still exist, though most of them are usually in hiding. Some live quietly among their own community, never revealing their true nature to humans." Pausing hesitantly, Juro continued, "These youkai that are attacking us are different. They appear instantly because they come from a separate past that is catching up to this time frame...a past that should not be. If you were to remain here, that past will become the present- one that is different from what you know it to be, and the future will begin to change. Everything rests on this moment."

Juro slowed to a stop and set Kagome back down, both pairs of eyes taking in the sight of the shrine's entrance a little dubiously. For Kagome, it was the first time in almost three years since she had last set foot in there, and she couldn't even begin to decipher how she should feel. Juro, on the other hand, found it rather difficult to imagine how the well was supposed to work. The stories his mother used to tell him had always sounded like tall tales told to entertain little children. Now, with the actual well erected only a few feet away, he thought it looked exceedingly ordinary and fairly under the weather for something that apparently held a considerate amount of magical power. Wrinkling his nose at the dusty air, Juro placed a hand on Kagome's back and guided her inside.

Kagome stared blankly at the well, noticing the cobwebs that had accumulated from disuse. She saw the paper wards stuck around the outside of the well and didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Futile as the attempts may be, her grandfather must've added them after seeing the pain she had endured after she came back. Touching the rim of the well's square opening, Kagome turned and fixed her attention on the man who stood next to her.

"What you told me just now...what did you mean by the past catching up?" she asked. "How do you know these things?"

Juro looked on silently at Kagome, his mind in conflict even as his face betrayed nothing. It would be so simple to just recklessly tell her everything. The temptation was great, but he knew even the tiniest knowledge held the possibilities of altering the past, and he couldn't take that risk. But all things aside, he couldn't fathom how he was to tell her about the kind of role that awaited her in the past. Most of all, how could he tell her that if she didn't go back soon, then she may miss the man that she was supposed to love...and in turn he, who was her son, would then cease to exist? The thought was daunting, outrageous even.

"In time, I promise, everything will become clear," he replied instead, after careful consideration.

Kagome sighed a little. "Will you at least tell me later?"

Juro's eyes saddened. "There will be no later. You won't be seeing me again."

"You're not coming with me?" Kagome was surprised. She had assumed that he would be joining her in her journey. She felt inexplicably distressed at the thought of not seeing him again, and she had the sudden pang of not wanting to part with him. However, before Kagome could say anything, she saw his eyes flicker swiftly into full alert.

"Go now!" he said, urgently.

_Wait_, she wanted to say, but already, she was being shoved backwards into the well. And as Kagome fell further into the darkness, her eyes widened in horror at the enormous youkai that loomed behind Juro. She heard someone screaming; it sounded so far away, and it took a moment for her to realize that it was herself calling out to him. Then everything became fuzzy and unfocused as the familiar pull finally caught, and Kagome felt her body retreating through time once more.

* * *

**Revision completed on June 30, 2006.** Goodness gracious, I had forgotten how hard it is for me to write "action" sequences even if this is technically a revision. It really isn't my thing. Anyhow, I hope you guys are enjoying this story! Every time I get the little alert for a review submitted, it makes me do a rather embarrassing amount of internal squealing. Thank you so much. :)


	5. The Churning of Fate

**Author's Note:** Two quick things- I'm aware that there are conflicting beliefs as to whether Jaken's an imp, kappa, or a toad demon so please don't get upset with me for choosing to go with a toad for this story if you happen to disagree. Personally, I'm leaning more towards him being a kappa demon, but it just sounds better for some reason, if I were to say "the toad groveled" as opposed to the "the kappa groveled" or something like that. Heh. :p Also, I've resorted to calling Sesshoumaru's father "Inutaishou" even though I know it's not his name. It just seems convenient at this point of the story, because most already do refer to him by that title. Anyhow, that's all!

* * *

**Cycles of Destiny**  
by Téa

Chapter 4: The Churning of Fate

_Destiny isn't something that you find; rather, it crashes into you and strings you along unaware._

All life in the woods seemed to be shrouded and arrested within the deep shadows of the trees as the powerful lord crossed the forest, his presence instilling instinctive fear to all those who keenly felt his aura.

_"Do you feel it? Father's blood runs most superior on nights of the full moon, and so will yours, Inuyasha...remember that."_

Sesshoumaru could catch glimpses of the night's full moon beyond the tree leaves that shadowed his silent steps as he moved gracefully through the path of the dense forest. The moon's presence had always spoken volumes to him, and often times, it even calmed him. Tonight, however, it was bent on bringing back memories that he loathed to remember...just as he despised the pitiful hanyou who shared his father's blood.

Why had he insisted on coming here again?

_"Look, Sesshou-onii-sama! My hair turned black!"_

_The little boy clad in a red outfit ran in circles around his older brother, his voice excited, as he lifted strands of his hair up with his fingers. He marveled at the darkness of its shine, but the older boy could only react with a feeling of deep dismay._

The boy who often insisted on clinging to him as a child, the offspring and the evidence of his father's infidelity to his own mother. Inuyasha. He had brought with him, so many centuries of shame to his clan's proud name. _Was it worth it?_ he often thought to ask his father, but he never did and the question could only echo in emptiness now.

_No_, Sesshoumaru thought, _it had never been worth it._

_Alarmed by the transformation of his younger brother's appearance, the older boy reached over and hurriedly clamped his hand over the child's mouth. He had once heard that all hanyou were cursed with the weakness of turning human for a night every month, when their powers began to develop. The time varied from hanyou to hanyou, and it seemed almost fitting that such an affliction should befall his brother on a night that was dead to the moon._

_But they were in a forest where dangerous youkai lurked, and there were many who desired to overthrow the great Inutaishou for a piece of his vast lands. It would not do to have one of the Western Lands sons' weakness revealed at such a place._

The old night was clear, and the air was filled with an ominous presence, much like the forest that haunted him relentlessly at present. But Sesshoumaru was a much different person then, having since inherited the title of the Great Demon Lord of the West, and those who dared defy him now would surely die. Yet he felt strangely dissatisfied, rather than pleasure, at the thought.

Sesshoumaru walked into a clearing surrounded by thick trees and paused in his stride. Fixing his eyes on the colossal tree that stood proudly in the center, he felt his lips curl into a sneer. Fate, he thought, never did have a sense of humor in the fickle tricks it loved to play.

_Pulling his struggling brother close to him, he tightened his arms around the tiny body and commanded, "Stay quiet, Inuyasha!"_

_The younger boy twisted his head back and looked up at his brother with wide, fearful eyes. "Sesshou...onii-sama?" he whispered._

_The attacks came, swift and vicious, before either could say another word._

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes and smelled the air for traces of his father's blood. There were none, just as there were none in the past six months as he wandered the lands searching. Searching for Tessaiga...searching for his pathetic little brother.

_"Stop crying, Inuyasha. It's unbecoming to cry when you're the son of the Great Lord of the Western Lands. What would Father say if he saw you crying?"_

_They were back within the safety of the palace's boundaries, and the two boys crouched on the ground trying to catch their breaths._

_"B-but Sesshou-onii-sama...you're b-bleeding," the boy stuttered as he pointed at the large gash on his brother's shoulder, his dark human eyes starting to fill up with fresh tears._

_The older boy shrugged off the concern. "It's only a scratch. It'll heal in a few hours. Now, stop crying."_

_He was growing impatient with his younger brother's incessant need to cry. But the tears kept rolling down the boy's cheeks, and it bothered him as much as it annoyed him. Sesshoumaru couldn't understand what the boy was babbling about. They had escaped the attack alive, hadn't they?_

_Reaching out to take the child's arm, he tightened his grip for emphasis. "Listen carefully, Inuyasha. From now on, during the night of every new moon, you will become completely human. That is why your hair turned black." Pausing to make sure the boy understood what he was saying, Sesshoumaru continued, "You must keep this a secret and tell no one. Because this is your weakness, it will be dangerous if anyone finds out. Do you understand what I'm saying, Inuyasha?"_

Almost two centuries later, the boy who had once cried over the injury on his left shoulder had in turn hacked off that very arm. The irony did not escape Sesshoumaru's mind as he walked closer towards the God Tree. With his chin tilted portentously, his impassive eyes took in the vines that wrapped around the trunk. He could remember clearly, the image of Inuyasha's latent body and the vines intertwining with the miko's seal that sedated his brother's mind into unconsciousness.

The worthless imbecile.

_The younger boy hiccupped, his tears finally coming to a stop as he listened to his brother's words. His voice trembling slightly, he asked, "Am I weak, Sesshou-onii-sama?"_

_Sesshoumaru's fingers twitched slightly at his brother's question. He looked at the younger boy's crestfallen face and frowned. "You are Father's son, and his blood is strong, Inuyasha." Not one to lie, he added, "But on every new moon, you will become your weaker self. Remember to never reveal it to anyone."_

_The boy looked up hopefully. "You really think I can be strong with Father's blood? I can be strong like you?"_

_Standing up, Sesshoumaru placed one clawed hand on his brother's shoulder and replied, "If you train hard."_

_Inuyasha nodded enthusiastically and vowed to train as hard as he could. Grinning proudly, he beamed and added, "I will become strong, Sesshou-onii-sama, so that I can protect Father's land with you!"_

Foolish words uttered by thoughtless children. Sesshoumaru growled quietly with contempt at the memory. He had once come upon this very tree to see if the rumors were true, that the great Inutaishou's youngest son was sealed here by a mere human. And there he was, helplessly pinned to a tree by an enchanted arrow shot by none other than the one he so loved.

_Why protect them? Why miss them? Why love them?_

Yes, he had said those very words to Inuyasha soon after he was released from his seal. Inuyasha had fallen from the hands of a human, betrayed by the one he loved, and still, he chose to be in their company. He was truly an idiot...nothing but a hanyou weakened by the tainted human blood that resided within his body.

And yet, it was Inuyasha whom his father indulged in more.

Growing up, Sesshoumaru had always been aware of his father's open fondness for Inuyasha. While he mostly received stern nods of approval, it was to Inuyasha that his father had reserved his affectionate gestures for. It gave Sesshoumaru an odd feeling, a tightening in his chest that he was not accustomed to. Sometimes, he felt his father was making a dire mistake. He was allowing Inuyasha to embrace his human side more than he should, and it was weakening him more than he already was with his human blood.

Sesshoumaru had always known that the servants often whispered in their quarters where they thought he couldn't hear, about the Inutaishou's obvious affection for the hanyou rather than his firstborn son. But he had brushed those words aside; he didn't care to be petty about such things. His father had trusted in his strength enough to designate him as the heir to rule over the Western Lands. For that alone, he pushed himself continuously, dedicating all his time to training and acquiring more power. Then much too soon, still only a child in youkai years, was he to inherit that role as the new lord.

It was widely known that the Inutaishou had died from an unexpected fatal injury inflicted upon him as he fought to protect his lands. But Sesshoumaru knew better, because he was there. He _knew_, and for that, his feelings towards Inuyasha's human mother had grown from quiet hostility to open resentment. It was her fault that his father had fallen, leaving Sesshoumaru to arrive home to a fortress that had been burned to the ground and their lands in disarray.

_"Go, Sesshoumaru. Protect Izayoi and your brother. Keep them safe, my son."_

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes against the hateful words that he still recalled as though they were uttered only yesterday. It was the last time he had seen his father alive, and after that night, he had not seen his hanyou brother again until some fifty years ago.

The Western Lands were in turmoil at the time. The Eastern Lord had died suddenly with no heir to take his throne, and the commotion had brought about a much larger disruption to the peace among the youkai lands. Had he expected his brother to come back and aid him in protecting their father's land? Such wavering words of a hanyou child. No, the irresponsible, selfish bastard had cared only for himself...chasing away at a piece of jewel, only to be sealed by the miko he had fallen in love with. A disgrace.

_"Father, father! I'm going to be strong like Sesshou-onii-sama and help you protect everyone!"_

_The great lord's laughter rang out through the palace, and he placed a hand on his youngest son's head. "Oh? Well, that's a promise then, isn't it, Inuyasha!"_

It was his father's dying wish that Inuyasha would join Sesshoumaru to watch over the Western Lands as brothers, but the inferior ingrate had allowed himself to be overcome by his weak blood. Sesshoumaru vowed then, upon Inuyasha's slumbering body, that he would acquire Tessaiga for himself and govern the West on his own. He had no need for a dismal idiot, and the ungrateful fool certainly did not deserve to wield his father's fang.

...............

Sesshoumaru raised his head to the sky at the fading moon. It was already nearing dawn. Had he been standing there that long?

Silently turning away from the God Tree, he began to walk through the forest once more. As he broke into another clearing nearby, with the deserted Bone Eater's Well, he coolly surveyed the area and finally spoke, "How long do you intend to follow me and pretend that I, Sesshoumaru, have not yet sensed your presence?"

There was a moment of silence before laughter permeated the air. Then with an elaborate flip, the female cat youkai in question landed several feet away from Sesshoumaru. Purring at him and with a tilt of her head, she let her gaze travel over the demon lord suggestively.

"Well, well...so the Great Lord of the West lives up to his reputation. There's never been one who could detect me when I don't desire it so, you know." She gave a dramatic pause before snickering and adding, "Unfortunately, that reputation is becoming tainted even as we speak. People are...talking. You've been much too arrogant for your own good, even as you grow careless."

Pacing the area around Sesshoumaru, she curled her tail around her thighs and slowly reached inside the furry orange vest she wore. "They used to say he's as ruthless as he is beautiful...and they also say he has honor like a great lord should."

Her fingers tightening hungrily around the dagger inside her vest, the cat licked her lips and grinned condescendingly. "So tell me, which will you be today, Sesshoumaru-_sama_? Will you be the proper gentleman that you are and come with me, or will you be the merciless monster who'll try to kill me with just a slash of your claws?"

Sesshoumaru eyed the cat youkai with an utmost look of boredom, though he had not failed to notice the dagger that she was reaching for beneath her clothing. She had two, and such boldness to bring so little, he thought scornfully. Sesshoumaru could smell the tips of the blades that were coated with a type of poison particularly potent for dog demons such as himself. She had come prepared, even if the extra care would be of no use to her.

"You waste your breath on words I care not for. State your business at once."

The cat youkai's reply was the dagger as she sent it whistling through the air towards the taiyoukai. She didn't aim to kill him, but she intended to temporarily paralyze him with the poison, a specialty of her tribe. Grinning maliciously at the thought of the youkai lord falling by her hands, her smile abruptly froze as the blade hit the trunk of a tree. Sesshoumaru was no longer where he was just a fraction of a second earlier. In fact, he was nowhere in sight, and it suddenly made her nervous. No one had ever escaped the speed of her daggers.

The cat slowly backed away, her eyes alert. Sniffing at the air, she cursed under her breath as her back collided with something. Realizing in an instant that it was Sesshoumaru, she quickly leapt to the far side of the clearing with another flip. She narrowed her murderous eyes and bared her fangs wildly. He had masked himself so well that she could not even sense him.

Sesshoumaru watched the cat youkai take off and circle carefully until the well was obstructing the direct path between their bodies. It didn't take much effort to see through her actions. By using the well as a shield, she had intended to slow him down if he were to dash forward for an attack. Already, he was growing weary and impatient.

Taking his time to walk forward, Sesshoumaru plainly stated, "Your caution is futile, wench. Do not insult me with your abecedarian attempts."

The female cat youkai should've been afraid, for she had realized his reputed skill much too late. Still, she had one more poisoned blade and she was beginning to get angry. It was not in a youkai's nature to shrink away, especially that of a belittled female cat. Her claws wrapping around the handle of her last dagger, she smiled tightly at the approaching figure. "Attacking women does not bring you honor, _Sesshoumaru-sama_."

And with all the strength and speed she could muster, she pitched her remaining dagger directly at the demon lord.

...............

"Nnng..."

Groaning, Kagome tried to find a comfortable sleeping position but found that it was virtually impossible. Her body was aching all over. Fingers probing and coming into contact with the hard ground beneath her body, Kagome slowly cracked her eyes open in confusion. For a split second, Kagome thought she was looking through a dark tunnel, and she wondered if she was indeed still sleeping. Then her eyes snapped open completely as everything came rushing back to her. _The well!_

At the thought, she sat up so quickly she almost popped a muscle in her back. Raising her head nervously towards the opening of the well, Kagome caught sight of the sky and inhaled sharply. Her jaw went slack, and she thought, _I'm really back..._

She couldn't tell how long she had been laying there unconscious. The sky over her head was a gray shade of blue, and for all she knew, it could've been breaking dawn or nearing night. Standing up painfully, she smoothed down her dress and adjusted her sweater before patting the specks of dust away from her clothes. Then reaching for the backpack by her foot, she stopped short as the necklace Juro had given her swung forward. Frowning, Kagome tucked it securely beneath the collar of her top and placed her hand over it as though to make sure it was still there.

She kept remembering the image of the frightening youkai looming behind Juro as he watched her tumble down the well. Briefly, she wondered if she should go back to check if he was okay, but the thought abandoned her quickly. He had made it clear that it was her presence that was causing the disruption, and she tried to reassure herself that she was doing the right thing by staying put. The only thing she could do now was to place her trust in the man she had somehow grown attached to, despite their short-lived interaction with each other.

Looking around the well, Kagome shivered slightly at her surroundings. The air was always chilly down there, she noticed. Sighing dejectedly, she knew she would have to climb out of the well sooner or later. In all honesty, she was feeling rather apprehensive about what would greet her when she got out.

_What am I doing back here again?_

Kagome wondered if Inuyasha would recognize her scent as he often did in the past. Would he come rushing towards her like he used to, or would he, maybe, shove her back as he had done before? What then, would she do?

"I'm going to sit him to death," she swore under her breath. With a determined nod, Kagome grabbed a firm hold of the wall to begin hoisting herself out and muttered, "Alright. Here I come, Sengoku Jidai..."

Kagome herself wasn't quite sure what happened next. She remembered reaching the top of the well and pushing herself out. She remembered flinging backwards at the impact of something hitting her. And she remembered the feeling of her body crashing against something warm and soft. But mostly, she remembered the pain in her chest as it spread out and seared hotly through the veins inside her body.

She found it increasingly difficult to breath, and it hurt to even open her eyes. Everything around her went blurry as she blinked slowly and struggled to understand what had just happened. Catching long wisps of silver hair caressing her face as it fluttered across her, Kagome wondered hazily if Inuyasha had come for her after all.

"Inuyasha..? It hurts..."

...............

Sesshoumaru stood calmly, waiting for the dagger that he knew would be coming any second now. The cat youkai's movements were really too predictable. Sighing inwardly, he wondered if there were any that could equally match him anymore.

He briefly considered just cutting her off and killing the cat, but curiosity got the better of him. The smell of the poison was irritating him, and he would wait until she finished off her last dagger. Then he'd find out what business she had with him before relishing in the act of taking her life. It was the most efficient plan, and Sesshoumaru could be patient when it suited him. But nowhere in this plan did it call for a girl to suddenly appear out of the well, and thus taking the dagger that was meant for him.

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened the moment he caught scent of another in the vicinity and realized belatedly that it was coming from inside the well. The human had leapt upwards...no, backwards. The human girl had flown backwards, crashing into him from the force of the dagger that was now embedded in her chest. Steadying the body that slumped against him by reflex, he caught a glimpse of her head hanging limply as he quickly scanned the area for the cat youkai. He could sense its presence fading away at a fast pace, and he knew there would be no point in trying to catch the youkai now.

To say that he was surprised at the turn of the events would be a sore understatement. Mostly, though, he was very angry. Angry that he had somehow allowed the cat youkai to get away after she dared attack him. Angry that this human had appeared out of nowhere and ruined the plan that he was sure could not fail. And at the height of all his thoughts, he was furious that she had taken a dagger that was aimed for him.

"Inuyasha..? It hurts..."

The hoarseness of her whisper as she uttered his hanyou brother's name made him glance down at the girl in his arms with startling awareness. The questions came to his mind almost immediately. Who was she? How did she know his brother? And was Inuyasha in the area after all? With narrowed eyes, his gaze traveled to the dagger that was buried deep in her chest. It would be useless to ask her these things, for he knew she was dying with each breath she took. Her frail human body would not be able to withstand the poison that was coursing through every inch of her mortal being.

Her hand stirred then, and Sesshoumaru watched incredulously as she absently reached for the handle of the dagger. _She is intending to pull it out?_ He did not expect her to even be able to move. He looked on as the girl's fingers clasped around the handle tightly. With an agonizing scream that was especially terrifying to his sensitive ears, a bright red light erupted from the base of her neck, and then it was gone as fast as it came.

Sesshoumaru felt the girl stagger blindly before gripping the sleeve of his kimono to steady herself. He stared down at her in momentary stupor. The dagger was gone...dispersed under her touch along with that strange light she emitted. Then with a shuddering jerk of her body, all remaining strength seemed to leave the girl and she fell limp against him once more. Her fingers, however, remained clutched to his kimono.

Disgusted with the overwhelming stench of poison on the girl's body, Sesshoumaru pried her off him and she dropped on the ground in an awkward heap. Whatever she did just now may have gotten rid of the blade, but it was a wasted attempt. Her body had already absorbed the poison, and all that waited now was her impending death. He could hear the laboring of her breaths as they became shorter and shorter. It would stop soon, he knew.

And for the first time since she had stumbled on to him, he took a good look at her. Her face seemed oddly familiar to him, but her clothes were definitely more foreign to him than anything. His golden eyes took in the shape of her pale legs that laid exposed from her indecent looking kimono; in truth, he wasn't even sure he could call it that. It was just a plain light blue cloth that covered her up to a little above her knees. Along with this cloth, she was also wearing a white top that was slowly turning deep red from the blood that gushed out in spurts from her wound. If the girl didn't die from the poison first, she would undoubtedly not survive that kind of blood loss.

Sesshoumaru stood there and continued to stare at her with his lips curled slightly in disdain. The human girl surely must be stupid. Tugging at the blade like a crazed woman, she had only hastened her death by allowing the blood to flow out that much faster. He briefly wondered about her powers and how she was able to dissolve the blade with just her touch. This girl who dared called him Inuyasha...the girl who had somehow unwittingly placed herself in the path of the cat youkai's attack, who was she?

Watching her silently, he questioned himself as to why he was still standing there. He certainly did not care if this human lived or died, and he had not asked her to take the blade for him. Needless to say, he could've easily dodged the attack. Yet it didn't change the fact that she was now dying from the dagger that had been marked for him. And he, Sesshoumaru, did not like to be in anyone's debt.

Snarling angrily at what fate had dealt him this time, Sesshoumaru could feel his father's fang pulsate insistently by his side. Unsheathing the sword, he stared at it in abhorrence. He was very much aware of the pallbearers that were slowly emerging and scurryng around to take the dead with them. They were repulsive little creatures that annoyed him as he watched them hover over the girl's body, almost in glee. Sesshoumaru knew Tenseiga was calling for him to use it, and the knowledge alone filled him with a feeling of resentment. It was as though the sword existed merely to spite him.

With a quiet growl rumbling unpleasantly from deep within his throat, Sesshoumaru took a step forward. He reasoned with himself that he would now owe her nothing, regardless whether he had asked for her interference or not. And with one quick swipe of the heavenly fang, the soul bearers shrieked and disbanded into the air. Watching the hideous creatures melt away in pain at least served him with some small amount of satisfaction, he thought perversely.

Straightening himself in one fluid movement, Sesshoumaru noted with an impassive expression on his face, that the human's heartbeat was coming back in smooth intervals. It looked as though she would remain unconscious for a while, which was just as well. Sensing the approach of his companions then, Sesshoumaru turned to glance at the direction of the forest.

"Ah...aah! I've finally found you, Sesshoumaru-sama! Jaken has spent all night searching for my lord!" His right arm swinging alongside to balance the two-headed staff, Jaken rushed forward to meet his master as fast as he could with his short legs.

Sesshoumaru eyed his servant with piercing gold. "Jaken."

"Y-yes, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Jaken shrunk back slightly at his lord's glare, sweat drops popping out on the side of his head, and wondered what he had done to displease Sesshoumaru again.

"Didn't I tell you to watch Rin?"

Relieved, he replied hastily, "Yes, of course! She is right behind me, my lord!"

Turning around, Jaken gasped and went frantic as his golf-sized eyes grew to the size of melons. The girl was not behind him as he had thought. Quickly flinging himself to the ground, Jaken kept his foreheard glued to the dirt and said, "Se-Sesshoumaru-sama! You must not worry, Jaken will find her at once!" Then realizing his mistake immediately, he hurriedly added, "Ah! But of course, Sesshoumaru-sama is not worried...it is preposterous to think that my-"

"Jaken."

The toad gulped audibly and raised his head. "Yes, my lord?"

"Shut up."

"A-arwk," the youkai servant croacked before tucking his head back in. "Yes, of course!"

Unbeknownst to him, Rin was hiding behind one of the trees and giggling at Jaken's demise. The child knew it wasn't nice to play with Jaken this way, but he was just so easily needled that sometimes she couldn't resist. Peaking around the tree, Rin spotted Sesshoumaru and found that he was already looking directly at her. All pranks forgotten, Rin's face lit up instantly and she ran forward with her arms spread out like wings.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" she called out in delight.

Hearing her voice, Jaken leapt to his feet and pointed his staff indignantly at Rin. "You- you insolent child!"

Ducking deftly from Jaken's staff, Rin ran and hid behind Sesshoumaru's legs while continuing to giggle. Poking her head around the great lord's body, she mischievously stuck her tongue out at the toad. At the sight, Jaken shook his staff irritatingly and was about to reach forward to thwack the girl in the head when she glanced down and suddenly gave a shout of surprise.

"Ahh! Sesshoumaru-sama! There's a pretty girl sleeping on the floor behind you!"

"Pretty girl on the floor?" Jaken echoed stupidly and rushed forward when he, too, finally noticed the unconscious figure of a young human woman. Reeling backwards, he pinched his nose and asked, "Gurgh, Sesshoumaru-sama, who is this stinking human?"

Rin beamed at Jaken and replied happily, "I bet it's someone Sesshoumaru-sama saved! Like Rin!"

"Don't be silly, you stupid child. Why would Sesshoumaru-sama save this...this human!"

The girl tilted her head and looked at the toad thoughtfully. "But Jaken-sama, Rin is human and Sesshoumaru-sama saved Rin."

Sesshoumaru was growing tired of the bickering between the child and his retainer. The noise alone was giving him a headache, and he frowned internally at the words that Rin had used. He did not like to think that he had just saved the young human woman. Even after all these years, he wasn't even sure if he was accustomed to the idea of bringing Rin back to life yet.

In a soft commanding voice he often used with the child, Sesshoumaru said, "Be quiet, Rin."

At his master's words, Jaken's chest puffed up a little, and he was about to gloat at Rin when Sesshoumaru cut him off. "Jaken."

Looking up at the youkai lord expectantly, he promptly replied, "Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

Turning to walk towards the forest once more, Sesshoumaru spoke with his back facing the toad. "Take the young woman and leave her with the human village nearby." With a slight pause, he added coldly, "And make sure she is not harmed."

* * *

**Revision completed on July 03, 2006.** In the previous chapters, I asked if anyone thought Kagome was OOC. Now, I must ask if you thought Sesshoumaru was portrayed decently? He's unfortunately rather tricky to write. That aside, I hope no one was confused with all that jumping back and forth between flashbacks at the beginning of this chapter! This chapter was probably the least and the most revised one so far (if that even makes any sense). There were so many areas that I wanted to change, but I just couldn't get it to come out the way I wanted it to. Woe!

Once again, I would appreciate it if you could review. Concrits are welcome as well. Since I do not have a beta, I'm relying on you all to give me a good smack on the head if I screwed up somewhere! ;p And finally, thank you for reading!


	6. Traces of Old Pains

**Author's Note:** There's something I have to clarify about the timeline of this fanfic. I'm aware that had the story followed the exact event where Inuyasha shoved Kagome back to her time, then she would not have met Sango yet. I considered this for a long time, since I could basically make it so that Sango did fall in Naraku's schemes and become a puppet like Kohaku, but I decided against it in the end- even if the idea seems interesting. Alas, the kind of story I want to tell has no room for that so I had to forego it. What this means is that I'm making it so that Kagome was sent back again and _really _made to stay in her time at a later point in the series. To clarify that discrepancy, I'll insert something about it into the fic later. Again, when in doubt, just follow what I write. :p

All things aside, I hope you'll find this chapter satisfactory because I hate it so. But it's a necessary chapter, even if it's mainly an interlude of sorts. Nothing particularly eventful happened, but I needed to build the setting first because it'll be based on these things that Kagome continues her journey in the past- and those things needs to be understood first. I hope you can be patient with me while I get them out of the way. The story will move along soon enough.

* * *

**Cycles of Destiny  
**by Téa

Chapter 5: Traces of Old Pains

_It lingers, even as it changes and morphs itself into something long passed._

Miroku turned at the sound of light footsteps and saw Sango approaching with the Hiraikotsu strapped securely on her back. Resisting a frown at the sight of dark circles that seemed to constantly shadow the woman's eyes during the recent months, he instead chose to smile brightly as he called out, "Good morning, Sango!"

Sango smiled tiredly in reply to the monk's greeting but said nothing as she glanced towards the distant mountains. The gray sky was streaked with a touch of orange, and soon, the sun would rise completely. They should be on their way if they wanted to make it to the next village before dark.

Turning back to the old miko that stood before him in front of a hut, Miroku bowed slightly and said, "We're leaving then, Kaede-sama."

Hands clasped behind her broad back, Kaede nodded solemnly at the monk. "How long do you think the wards will hold?"

Miroku looked down and considered the small pouch that rested on his right palm, its deep purple cloth blessed and made sacred with a spiritual sealing prayer that he had spent days meditating on. He fingered the beech colored rosary that wrapped protectively around the pouch and sighed. "I'm not so sure myself, but it should be enough to at least keep the darkened aura contained for a while."

Kaede shook her head warily. She felt uneasy about the Shikon shards resting within the pouch that Miroku held; too many things felt wrong to her. "Do be careful, Houshi-dono."

The miko didn't have to say much more, for they both knew all too well, the unspoken meaning of their quest...one that never seemed to end. Yet, it should've already ended a long time ago. Watching Sango walk towards them with her face set in quiet determination, Kaede silently regarded her with a feeling akin to sorrowful regret. At the age of 20, Sango was already too old to be wed. While most women started a family of their own by the age of 16, Sango was still battling youkai along with her continuous struggle for revenge.

Naraku. It was a name that held a personal memory within each of them, all different but much too painful to leave behind all the same. Even though his existence had already been wiped away, his presence still lingered, hovering above their hearts like a disease that refused to heal.

Sango came to a stop beside Miroku, while Kirara and a sleepy Shippou trailed a little farther behind. Looking up at the monk, she asked, "Houshi-sama, should we go?"

Miroku nodded, his expression serious. "I think we have everything. We should set out while it's still early."

And with their completed, yet bare, party of two humans and two youkai, they waved their good-byes and set off to start their journey.

Kaede stood alone and watched the fading figures with a tinge of worry hinted in her single, old eye. It was disheartening to see what used to be a lively and noisy group of six, now reduced to only the somber four. With a heavy sigh, she waited until they had completely disappeared from view before turning around to begin her day.

There was much to be done, for the village was in an utter state of shambles. The youkai attacks had been increasing in great numbers, and she wasn't sure how much longer the village could endure under such devastating circumstances. The tired miko took in the sight of broken houses, some completely destroyed while others were in the process of restoration, then headed off to check on a few injured villagers. And it wasn't until after she had tended to her third patient did the news come, informing her of a strange-looking young woman left bloodied and unconscious at the edge of the village.

...............

Sesshoumaru knew it was coming, expected it even. He had first discovered Tenseiga's side effect when he brought Rin back to life with the sword, and there was no reason why it'd be different this time around. He felt it now, the human's life force, and he knew it would remain in the coming days. When it had first happened with Rin, he was more than a little disturbed by the unexpected invasion of the child's spirit in his mind.

It had come instantly, the flashes of Rin's shocking trauma at watching her parents murdered and the terror she felt as she ran from the wolves. Then when that had played itself out, Sesshoumaru was left with a bright, resonant glow of her soul. He had looked at the human child and pondered on how such an ordeal could go hand in hand with the kind of pure innocence that she emitted. And then she had opened her eyes and gazed up at him in awe, enveloping his mind with the love and devotion that she had unquestioningly handed him. He left her then; yet she followed and had continued to follow him all these years.

It was still unnerving sometimes, the way she always looked at him. Did she not realize that he could kill her with just the softest touch of his claws?

Sesshoumaru walked along the thick forest, deep in thought even as the expression on his face remained distant and unreadable. He came to a stop at the small clearing where his companions rested and glanced at the two petite sleeping bodies. His eyes swept the area, taking in the ungainly manner in which Jaken laid sprawled on the ground with his mouth wide open and Rin's tiny body instinctively curled up against the toad for warmth. It would be yet another morning where Jaken woke up aghast at how close the child slept to him. More and more, nights like these left him with an acute sense of restlessness. It made him especially aware of the void that hung heavily in the air.

How long has it been, this constant roaming of the lands?

...............

Shifting her head listlessly, Kagome moaned softly and murmured incoherent words of dreams, nightmares, and WacDonald's. She was unbelievably thirsty, but she couldn't bring herself to get up for a glass of water. For some reason she wasn't able to comprehend at the moment, she felt really tired. Curling her legs up in a fetus position, she attempted to make herself feel more comfortable when her eyes popped open in fright. The mat beneath her body was hard and unlike the softness of her bed. Her eyes frantically focusing from the blur of sleep, Kagome blinked a few times and stared at the worn out, creaky ceiling above her.

_Oh..._ She pressed her elbows against the mat and was about to push herself up to survey the rest of the room when a rustling sound caught her attention, and she saw an old woman clad in a red and white miko's outfit walk in carrying a bowl and a cup.

"I see you're finally up. You shouldn't try to move around too much yet, Kagome."

Kagome's eyes widened, and she gasped, "Kaede-baachan!"

Kaede chuckled and placed the bowl on a table before helping Kagome prop up against the wall. After making sure, Kagome was able to sit up on her own, she handed her the cup and told her to drink. "There's a bowl of porridge over on the table. You'll need your strength back, so try to eat as much of it as you can."

Kagome gulped down the water so quickly that she almost choked. Apologizing for her embarrassing behavior, she thanked the miko and explained sheepishly, "I don't know why, but I'm really thirsty."

The old woman eyed the girl shrewdly and replied, "Well, it's no wonder. You've been unconscious for almost two days now."

Kagome balked and echoed incredulously, "I've slept for almost _two _days?" Then the words sunk in, and she paused in confusion. "Wait a minute...what happened? How did I get here?"

Kaede remained quiet and took a moment to study the girl who had grown into a beautiful young woman since they last saw each other. She looked more and less like Kikyou all at once that it was a bit unsettling to see her again. Taking a deep breath, she replied, "Someone found you at the edge of the village. Do you not remember how you got there?"

Kagome could only look blankly at the old miko in response. Kaede seemed to realize that Kagome genuinely didn't know, so she chose instead to ask, "Kagome, do you remember getting hurt at all?"

Kagome started to shake her head when, without reason, she stopped to clutch at her chest in alarm. Patting around with her hand, Kagome's eyebrows creased and her expression was one of bewilderment. She wouldn't have been able to say why she believed so, but she could've sworn being in the most pain she had ever been in her entire life. Yet, all she felt now was muscle pain and exhaustion. Looking down in puzzlement, Kagome found herself dressed in a simple yukata robe instead of her own clothes.

"I had one of the village wives bathe you and change you into something clean," Kaede explained. Then watching the young woman carefully, she added, "Your own clothes were almost completely soaked in blood and poison, so I had it cleaned and mended for you. There was a hole, Kagome, on the fabric around where your chest would've been."

With her hand still gripping the bunched cloth gathering around her chest, Kagome stared at Kaede and said, "But I'm not-"

"Yes, you're not hurt. Aside from being a little weak and dehydrated, you show no sign of injury at all." Kaede shook her head and continued, "I don't know what happened, but it's a good thing because the poison on your clothes was very potent. It would've been fatal had your body consumed even a little of it."

For a moment, Kagome had the ridiculous notion that she _was_ dead. Frowning, she tried to remember what happened when she suddenly recalled the impression of warm hands holding on to her shoulders and the silver strands of hair that stroked her cheeks softly. Snapping her head up, she exclaimed, "Inuyasha! I- he- did he bring me here? I mean...is he here?"

Kaede's eye widened. "You saw Inuyasha?"

With the corner of her lips tugged downwards as she tried to remember the blurry feeling of being held by someone, Kagome hesitated before replying, "I thought I did, but now I'm not so sure anymore. I'm almost positive I saw his hair...or something...but I think I was already half-unconscious by then."

Kaede appeared to be deep in thought. "Kagome, forgive me for asking, but why and how were you able to return?"

"I..." Kagome found that she wasn't sure how to begin. It was going to be tough to tell Kaede everything that had happened back in her time. After all, she was still having trouble believing it herself.

...............

Sesshoumaru settled down against a large tree and stared at the fire that Jaken had started earlier, its flame flickering dimly and smoldering away into the night. It had been centuries ago...and yet, now he was being reminded of it again. That familiar red light disturbed him, he realized, more than he wanted to admit. In truth, Sesshoumaru shouldn't have been at all surprised by the effects of healing someone. His own mother was a healer by nature, and as a child, he had seen firsthand, the horrid consequences that the ability could carry. It was not something he had planned on ever thinking about again.

Sesshoumaru was still unsure about Tenseiga's true capabilities and what his father's purpose had been in giving him such a sword when he had no desire to protect life. Even so, he was aware that when it came to something as intricate as life, an undeniable bond would be established if a connection was opened. In the very moment that Tenseiga was used to bring a soul back, a delicate string would've been woven between the two linked souls and he would become especially in tune with it for several days after. The effect didn't give him whole and complete thought streams, but rather, it was the essence and the emotion lingering behind that he would be able to feel. A glimspe into the larger imprints of their being, if it could be called that.

From what Sesshoumaru had observed with Rin, he'd be the only one in tune with the connection. The knowledge relieved him, and it was just as well that the link itself would fade with time. Sesshoumaru had no interest in having his mind forever burdened with useless visions that did not belong to him. Most of all, he did not need to experience emotions that he cared not for.

Sesshoumaru leaned back against the trunk of the tree and closed his eyes. Utilizing his other senses, he could tell that both Rin and Jaken were still sleeping sound and safe nearby. It was at that precise moment, he felt the young woman wake up. He knew because he sensed a shift of her energy in his mind, from one of a constant lightness of being to a wavering crash of emotions. It was only then that the strange red light enclosing her in a cocoon had finally subsided, revealing the core of her soul pulsing in a pinkish white hue.

He was most perplexed by the aura that surrounded and reverberated off of her in powerful waves. And it had been bothering him, as it continued to plague him now, why this human was so irritatingly familiar.

...............

Kaede quietly listened as Kagome rehashed, with some difficulty, the events that led up to the moment when she had traveled through time once more. She wasn't sure if she liked the implications of what she was being told. If Kagome's time was affected as well, it meant that things were much worse than she had thought. Still, if Kagome had come back with a Shikon shard, perhaps there was still hope, and that was something Kaede couldn't ignore.

"Kagome, this young man called Juro that you spoke of...do you know who he is?"

Kagome frowned and recalled how Juro had acted like he knew her. "I'm not sure...he seemed to know me, or at least that was what he implied. He said I was the person who gave him the Shikon shard, but I don't remember ever meeting him."

Kagome had purposely omitted the fact that she felt as though she _did_ know him, but Kaede's eyebrows shot up all the same upon hearing the young woman's reply. "Did he say who he was?"

Kagome shook her head. "He..." she hesitated. This was going to sound absurd, she knew. Rubbing her temples to ease an oncoming headache, she finally said, "He only mentioned that Inuyasha was his uncle."

"Uncle?" Kaede asked in surprise. "You mean to say...he was Sesshoumaru's-"

"That's impossible, Kaede-baachan," Kagome interrupted immediately. "Sesshoumaru hates humans...and Juro was a hanyou. He said so himself."

Tilting her head in thought, Kagome mused aloud, "I can't completely deny the relation though." Then gesturing at her head, she continued, "Juro had the same silvery hair, the golden eyes, and there's even that mark of a crescent moon on his forehead like Sesshoumaru. That and..."

"And?" Kaede prompted as Kagome's words faltered.

Kagome felt her chest tighten anxiously, without explanation. "Juro had Tenseiga and Tessaiga with him. I saw him use both of them."

Kaede was undoubtedly stunned, but she only nodded absently. She knew it was highly unlikely that Sesshoumaru would sire a hanyou, but she had also heard curious stories about how he had taken a human child under his care. This, added with the knowledge that Sesshoumaru had fought hard alongside Inuyasha during the final battle against Naraku, had made her hesitant in judging the taiyoukai too harshly. In truth, what really disturbed her, more than anything else, was how Tessaiga managed to appear in Kagome's time. As far as she knew, the sword was no more.

"Kaede-baachan...how is everyone? How's-" All of a sudden, Kagome felt afraid and unsure of how to voice her questions. _I'm back,_ her mind seemed to scream, but nothing was as she had pictured, and she felt out of place somehow. _Where _is_ everybody?_

Kaede eyed the young woman warily. "You want to know how Inuyasha is doing."

The old miko watched as a faint blush crept on to Kagome's cheeks, and she would've chuckled at the reaction had the prospects looked less grim. Instead, she only looked at her tiredly.

"Kagome," she began slowly. "You must realize that a lot has happened since you left. Even though I understand that it was due to his concern for your welfare, I believe Inuyasha had made a grave mistake by keeping you away."

Kagome averted her gaze and looked down at her hands. It was so much more painful to face the memories here in Sengoku Jidai with Kaede than it was back in her time. She supposed it was easier to bury everything and pretend that nothing had happened when she was surrounded by people who were oblivious to that part of her life. There weren't any evidences of the past to remind her, but now, she was back here again with all the old wounds laid out glaringly in the open.

"Well, what's done is done, Kagome. You're here now, and perhaps you were sent back to us again for a reason. You should remember that," Kaede said, "though it's rather unfortunate that you should arrive just shortly after everyone left on their journey. They would've been very happy to see you...Shippou, especially. They were all quite upset at Inuyasha for sending you back, but in truth, he and Shippou probably took your absence the hardest."

"They were here?" Kagome's heart lurched at hearing about her friends, and she kept rocketing back and forth between warring emotions. In just a few words, Kaede had managed to make her feel hopeful, disappointed, and nervous all in one go. Her shoulders sagging at the realization that she would not be seeing her friends any time soon, she asked, "Where did they go?"

"Miroku, Sango, and Shippou have been living in this village for the past few months, and they had only just left for the northern mountains two days ago. Since Sango's village is on the way, I believe they will be stopping there to pay their respects to her family first."

Kagome noticed how the old miko had failed to mention Inuyasha's name, but the discrepancy had barely registered in her mind when Kaede's next words froze her thoughts altogether.

"I understand Sango hasn't been back there since she last brought her brother's body to rest alongside her parents' grave."

"You mean...Kohaku-" Kagome couldn't bear to say it. _No...Sango..._

Kaede expression was sober. "Kohaku passed on about six months ago when Naraku extracted the Shikon shard from his back."

Kagome was stricken with grief for her friend. She knew how much Kohaku had meant to Sango. "How- how's Sango? Is...she okay?"

"She took it very hard, but Sango is also a woman with an exceptionally strong spirit. After watching Kohaku being under Naraku's control for so long..." Kaede's voice trailed off. "Perhaps it is better this way. At the very least, he is no longer an empty tool for Naraku's schemes, and Sango knew that in her heart as well."

Kagome's vision blurred as tears sprang to her eyes. More than ever, she felt a surging anger for Naraku and everything he had done. "Kaede-baachan," she whispered. "What about Naraku? The Shikon no Tama?"

Kaede met Kagome's eyes briefly before sighing in resignation. "The final battle against Naraku took place six months ago, when the completed Shikon no Tama fell in his hands."

Kagome's hand flew to her mouth at the dreadful possibility of Naraku obtaining the jewel, but Kaede merely raised her hand to silence whatever conclusions Kagome was about to make. "It was a very long and gruesome battle, but we were able to retrieve the Shikon no Tama in the end. It was returned to this village, and we had been guarding it up until two days ago, when Sango and Miroku took it with them on their journey."

Startled, Kagome reached for the tiny Shikon shard around her neck and tightened her fingers around it as though to make sure it was still there. "So the Shikon no Tama is whole again? Naraku is...gone?" She couldn't understand why Kaede looked so serious if Naraku was finally defeated. Hesitating a little, she asked, "That's a good thing, isn't it?"

Kaede frowned and stood up to walk towards the window at the far end of the room. After a moment of looking out at the village, she turned around and asked, "Do you feel strong enough to walk, Kagome?"

Kagome opened her mouth, intending to ask why but ended up settling for an affirming nod instead. Looking at the woman in front of her, she realized for the first time since waking up, how much older the miko appeared. She noticed the way Kaede's forehead wrinkled in deep grooves of distress, the way her wise eye lined and slanted with exhaustion, and how the drained hunch of her aged back seemed larger with heavy burdens. She tried to remember if Kaede had always looked this way.

Being back in the Feudal Era, she almost felt like it was only a few days ago when she sat there and laughed with everyone. But in reality, almost four years had gone by, and with every passing minute, it was becoming more and more apparent just how much things had really changed. She had to wonder now, where her place in this world was...or if she even had a place at all.

With lips pursed in a stern line, Kaede clasped her hands behind her back and seemed to reach a decision. "Come," she nodded at Kagome. "Perhaps looking at the village will help you understand the changes this world has gone through during the years since you've been gone."

And as Kaede led the way out of the hut, she couldn't help but rest her hopes on the reappearance of her sister's reincarnation. Too many mistakes have been made, and where old pains had ended, it only gave birth to a new horror...twisting them down a path that went terribly wrong.

* * *

**Revision completed on July 09, 2006.** Hmm, the next revision _might_ not pop up as fast as the previous updates. Chapter 6 was always deemed the chapter of doom, because it gave me the worst case of mental hives. I hated it a thousand times more than this chapter... so I'm hoping to rectify that, even if only a little.

Btw, I'm going to be compiling a Q&A post for this fic at my writing journal (inkcanvas) on LJ since I've been getting many similar questions- so if any of you want to ask me something, feel free to leave it in your review and I'll get to it. I should be posting a link to the post during my next update. Thanks all for reading- much love! I was so pressed for time that I didn't get to respond to a lot of your reviews, but I'll be replying to them soon. :)


	7. A Life of Mistakes

**Author's Note:** Looks like the chapter of my mental doom was revised faster than I expected. I'm going to accept that I'll always dislike chapters 5 and 6, so I shall grit my teeth and move on. I chopped off about 2,000 words from the original version, leaving this chapter at a little over 5,000 words. Old readers who still remember what happened will probably have a bit more knowledge about certain mysteries, but either way, those _will _be covered soon anyhow...so it shouldn't make any significant difference. Anyway, this chapter is the last of my revisions and everything from the next update onwards will all be considered new additions.

* * *

**Cycles of Destiny  
**by Téa

Chapter 6: A Life of Mistakes

_Sometimes, all you're left with is what could've been and what will be._

Juro looked down towards the bottom of the well, its pit dark and devoid of anything but cobwebs and dirt. Staring at the spot where Kagome had disappeared, he murmured, "So this is how it happens..."

Although his mother had tried to tell him at her deathbed, about where she came from and what he needed to do when the time came, he was never able to comprehend the full meaning of it until that moment. Living through hundreds of years, Juro had only his mother's words to carry him...and it wasn't until the recent months did it all finally make sense. It was when the first of the final battle that the Sengoku Jidai had seen with Naraku would run parallel to the present time. The point in time when it became crucial for his mother to go back in time once more.

The signs were all there as his mother had said they would come. The mysterious reappearance of strange youkai that should no longer belong in this time. The air shifting ominously around him as though another force was in effect. It was a time where the present would change if the past was allowed to move on in ways that were never meant to be. The flickering disappearance of his existence in itself was proof enough.

Lightly tracing the rim of the well with his claws, Juro wondered if his mother had made it back in time to meet his father. So much depended on it, after all. Taking one last lingering look at the well, he turned around to finish what his mother had wanted him to do. He needed to protect his mother's family, to protect the present while she went back in time to fix what went wrong in the first battle. Yes, it wasn't so much the final battle as it was, in truth, only the first.

There would be many more battles yet to come...and then finally, the last battle would see to its end. But before all that could happen, another story would have to play out first. One of war, high clan politics, old family betrayals, the darkness of evil, and through it all, there would be a story of understanding and of acceptance. Maybe then, there would be more.

_I will wait_, Juro thought, _and_ _hope_.

...............

Sesshoumaru's jaw tightened faintly as another wave of emotions washed over his mind. It had been two days since he brought the human back to life, and already, he was despising it more than he thought was possible. It was irritating to say the least, the amount of emotions that seemed to be contained within the young woman.

In the beginning, he didn't mind it so much when she was unconscious and all she gave him was the constant calming red aura that floated about her, but now, it was as though she was going through every single feeling that had ever existed. That was one of the many things that annoyed him about humans. They allowed themselves to be influenced too much by useless metaphorical things such as the heart.

Sesshoumaru glanced at the blackened ashes of the fire that had long gone out hours ago and stood up from where he sat. The shadow of the trees fell upon his face as he shifted his gaze towards Rin and quietly watched her small chest rise and fall along with the tiny breaths that she took. This little human child that was never afraid of him when she should've been...this child that he had saved more than once without ever really understanding why. He silently stood there for a moment longer, and although his expression remained unchanged, something seemed to shift inside him. Scoffing softly, he turned away wordlessly. _Useless metaphorical things_, he thought.

Moving towards Jaken, Sesshoumaru stared down at his servant. "Jaken."

Jaken gave an undignified snort in his sleep and was about to roll over when Sesshoumaru stepped on the toad and calmly walked across him. Letting out a sudden squawk, the toad sprang up with a newfound speed and gulped thickly. Jaken hurriedly turned to face his master's retreating back and called out meekly, "Sesshoumaru-sama?"

The reply came, clipped and to the point as was usually the case. "Wake Rin up and prepare to leave."

Jaken immediately jumped to his feet at the command. "Yes, right away, my lord!"

...............

Kagome inhaled sharply as she stepped out of the hut with Kaede and found herself staring at the ruins of what used to be a peaceful village. The early sun was shining brightly, and it made the sight of destroyed homes and broken pieces of furnitures laid scattered about that much more surreal. It looked as though the village had barely survived a tornado, and she shuddered to think about the amount of people that must've been injured or killed from whatever it was that happened.

Kaede briefly glanced at Kagome before turning her attention back to the village. "Youkai attacks. We've been getting a lot of those lately, though this is the worst one yet."

With wide eyes, Kagome trailed in shock behind Kaede as they walked towards the heart of the village. She was well familiar with youkai attacks, but she had never seen Kaede's village look this bad before. As far as she could remember, this village always had a reputation for being one of the more well-protected areas, and she couldn't even begin to imagine what kind of youkai it was that did this.

"We were fortunate that Sango and Miroku managed to destroy all the youkai before the whole village was completely wiped out. You would've come back to nothing otherwise." Slowly walking by a hut that was only partially erected, Kaede explained, "What really worried us wasn't so much the frequency of attacks, but rather, the type of youkai that had been appearing lately. We've been seeing strange and new ones, and they seem to get increasingly stronger each time they return."

Kagome turned to Kaede in surprise. "New types of youkai?"

Kaede nodded. "These are youkai that had never been seen or known before, and we don't know where they're coming from. They seem common enough, except they're too strong to be just any regular youkai."

Biting at the corner of her lips in thought, Kagome realized now that it had been the same way in her time. There were several unfamiliar looking youkai, even if she didn't have the time to appreciate that fact when her home was under attack. The enormous youkai she saw looming behind Juro as she fell through the well seemed particularly menacing.

"Do you know why they're attacking this village so frequently?" she asked.

Kaede stopped and her eyes strayed towards Inuyasha's Forest. "We had suspected for some time now that it had to do with the Shikon no Tama."

Understanding dawned in Kagome's mind even as she felt that it didn't quite explain everything. Frowning, she replied, "But we've had the Shikon no Tama before..."

Kaede shook her head. "The shards we had in our possession was not the same as the ones you speak of, Kagome. These were darkened with an exceptionally strange aura that contained a great amount of evil. I imagine this is what attracts them. It took all of Miroku's efforts to even keep it contained so that we could handle the shards." Averting her gaze from the forest, Kaede eyed the young woman and said, "We did not have anyone who could purify them, you see."

"But Kikyou..." her voice trailed off. And there it was. The root of all her pain that she had tried not to think about. Unable to keep her feelings from displaying so obviously on her face, Kagome looked down at the ground in shame.

In the darkest corner of her heart, there existed a tiny vacuum where she kept trying but failing to patch up. When days were particularly trying, she often fell into that void and imagined that Inuyasha never came back for her because she wasn't wanted- wasn't _needed_. She would wade in the self-pity that enticed her with words of how she was only a shadow of the real thing...a defective reincarnation. She knew it wasn't fair to her friends- to _him_, knew that she shouldn't believe she was only useful for shard detection...but sometimes, on certain days, it was all she could think about.

Why keep her when they had the real thing, even if it was only a ghost of a soul? The ghost was more powerful than her, after all. Kagome knew that Inuyasha had sent her back because he wanted her to be safe, but in some twisted way, it was like a slap in the face. She was too _weak_, he might as well have said. And she hated herself, not because of what Inuyasha did not say, but because being this way made her feel small. Yet, underneath it all, it made her afraid that her darker thoughts might be true.

Kaede looked away out of politeness to give the young woman time to collect herself. She understood well, how Kagome must've felt about her sister even though she had never said a word about it. "Ever since one of the villagers had found you and brought you to me, I have been wondering how and why you finally came back after all this time." Clasping her hands behind her back, she sighed. "Whatever the reason, it seems there is still unfinished business here for you."

Kagome smiled sadly but chose to say nothing. She couldn't imagine what she could possibly do now that she couldn't before, but she knew it wasn't something that was appropriate for her to say.

Kaede looked at the young woman with a hint of gentleness in her old eye. "I said earlier, that Inuyasha had made a terrible choice by sending you away. I did not believe that your time here was supposed to end then, Kagome. The fact that you're here again, under the present circumstances, has reinforced my beliefs." Then in a voice heavy with regret, she said, "When you reach my age, thinking about possibilities long gone isn't a wise thing to do. But seeing you here now, I'm inclined, once more, to think about all the mistakes that we could've avoided."

Kagome looked up, her eyes meeting the miko's in question, but she couldn't suppress the cold shiver that overtook her, warning of things she would rather not know.

There was a strange, faraway look in Kaede's eye as she quietly said, "In some unfortunate twist of fate, Inuyasha's decision had perhaps beared himself the heaviest of consequences. Had he allowed you to complete the Shikon no Tama with him, he might then still be here."

Kagome stood completely still. It felt as though her chest was lodged inside her throat. _Please, God, no..._ She was dimly aware that she should've seen it coming, that somewhere at the back of her mind, she had noticed how Kaede would avoid talking about Inuyasha. She couldn't believe it, _refused _to believe it. Taking a step backwards, she clamped a hand on her mouth to choke back a sob as tears began streaming down her face.

Kaede reached forward and grasped Kagome's arm to steady her. Looking at the young woman in the eye, she said firmly, "We don't know if he's really gone, Kagome." Once she made sure the words had sunk in, she continued, "The truth is, no one knows where Inuyasha is. It's been six months since he has disappeared, and we have no way of knowing whether he's still alive or not."

_Six months_, Kagome's mind kept repeating, _six months since he's disappeared. Not gone, not dead, he _can't _be dead_. Gripping the hand that Kaede had placed on her arm, Kagome leaned forward, almost wildly. "The final battle, Kaede-baachan," she whispered hoarsely. "What happened in the battle six months ago?"

...............

The human was crying. He could almost _taste _the tears, as undesirable as the idea was.

Sesshoumaru could hear Jaken waking Rin up and the predictable ruckus that followed, but he was not paying attention to any of it. Instead, he closed his eyes against yet another onslaught of emotions that came crashing into him in full force. This one flared stronger than any of the previous ones, causing his claws to twitch on its own accord. He was beginning to consider finding and killing the woman so that he could rid himself of her ridiculous humanity.

The flashes of her subconsciousness came in bursting clips, one overlapping the next in blurred memories until one caught, and his eyes opened, slightly widened. She was thinking of Inuyasha, and her tears were shed for the halfwit, of all people. The images played out inside his head, more vividly than they should've been, and then all his thoughts came to a halt as he found himself much too familiar with a few of those memories.

She knew him. _He_ knew her.

There, clear in his mind, she stood glaring at him with the most infuriating look of defiance in her eyes as she shot his armor with her arrows. And Tenseiga had wanted to save her. The thought burned in his head, scratching at the borders of his already-present annoyance.

"Hn," he murmured acridly as he raised his left arm and curled his lips. "So I've brought Inuyasha's human wench back to life."

It was no wonder he had not recognized her right away; he didn't expect to ever see her again. Sesshoumaru had, of course, noticed her missing during the latter part of his brother's journey in completing the Shikon no Tama, but he had figured her to be dead. Perhaps, he thought, Inuyasha had finally failed to protect her from her own foolish actions. He may have even taunted Inuyasha about it on more than one occassion. The opportunity was too tempting to pass up on, since the subject had never failed to aggravate the mutt. But yet, there she was again...the girl who had also been in his father's sacred tomb when Inuyasha cut off his arm with Tessaiga. In fact, she was the one who had freed the sword from its barrier- something that neither he nor Inuyasha was able to do.

With the corner of his lips pulled down in a displeased frown, Sesshoumaru stared at his left arm and stretched his hand to draw his claws out in sharpened points. Jaken and Rin caught up to him then, and the toad's jaw dropped in a gleeful beam as he caught sight of his master's left arm.

Puffing his chest up proudly, Jaken ran up to the youkai lord and exclaimed ecstatically, "Aa-ah! Sesshoumaru-sama! Your arm has finally completely grown back to its original state!"

Upon hearing Jaken's outburst, Rin moved forward quickly and marveled at Sesshoumaru's arm in awe. "Wow, Sesshoumaru-sama!" Tugging at the toad, she asked, "Jaken-sama, how did Sesshoumaru-sama do it? Can all youkai grow back their limbs?"

Too absorbed with his own excitement, Jaken ignored the child and instead looked up dreamily at the sky with glittering eyes. "Jaken has always known it! No one can rival my great lord Sesshoumaru-sama's amazing powers! Normally, only the most powerful of youkai could do something like that...but even for them, it would take centuries to do so. Of course, for Sesshoumaru-sama, it would never take that lo-"

"Is that so, Jaken." Flexing the joint of his fingers, Sesshoumaru watched them glow a weak green and narrowed his eyes in thought.

Jaken shrunk a little at the brusque interruption. There was something about the taiyoukai's enigmatic tone that had made him nervous. Sweating profusely, the stuttering Jaken grandly waved his arms and hastily said, "Of course, my lord! Your powers are the greatest any has ever seen since Inutaishou-sama and they're..."

The toad youkai continued to reiterate his undying faith to his master, though unbeknownst to him, Sesshoumaru had already walked off into the forest with his thoughts elsewhere. His left arm had been regenerating rapidly during the last few months, and now, it was almost fully recovered even if it was still a little on the weak side. He imagined it would return to normal sooner than even he anticipated.

Contrary to his retainer's beliefs, Sesshoumaru did not truly understand how it happened. While he did expect his arm to grow back eventually, it would've, as Jaken had said, taken at least a century for a youkai of his power. Even then, that would still be rather fast. Sesshoumaru was not one to have false expectations of his own capabilities, and he knew four months was far from normal. To be specific, it had only been two short months after he last saw Inuyasha, when his arm started to grow itself. It made him contemplate, not for the first time, the connection between the two.

The recollection came, uninvited, to him once more...the look on Inuyasha's face, the expression that resembled regret as the hanyou turned to meet his eyes before dashing off into the miasma during that last battle. Was it a look of resolve? Did the half-breed know then, what was waiting for him within the cloud of miasma? Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and tried to sense his brother's presence but found none, as was always the case throughout the past six months. There was nothing, not even the dimming aura of when the mutt was sealed for fifty years by his miko.

Sesshoumaru had considered that Inuyasha might've already passed on from this world, but yet, the possibility did not make sense. Youkai typically emitted a particular stench upon their passing in order to protect their bodies even at death. Although Inuyasha was only a hanyou, his youkai blood would've been powerful enough to take over at the moment of death. However, Sesshoumaru could not detect even a shadow of that smell no matter where he went. It was as though Inuyasha had vanished from the world without a single trace.

...............

Kaede settled down to rest under the shade of a nearby tree and glanced at the young woman from the corner of her eye. While her tears had finally stopped, there was now a certain dull quality in her glazed eyes that spoke of yawning grief- one that shouldn't be there for a someone who was barely a woman. Being at her age, Kaede had lived through many disasters and seen more terrible things than some would ever even experience in their lifetime. And for a moment, she allowed herself to wish in naivete, that Kagome wouldn't have to share the burden of knowing things that were better left in the dark.

As these thoughts flitted through her head, silence descended between the two women until finally, with lips pursed in a stern line, Kaede took a deep breath and began a story that had both ended and started everything.

"After you left, everyone continued to collect the stray Shikon shards as best as they could while maintaining a search for Naraku. It wasn't easy, and it dragged on for a long time until those who possessed the Shikon shards narrowed down to two people." As an afterthought, Kaede added, "I'm sure you already realize it was Naraku and Inuyasha."

Kagome nodded mutely; she had expected just as much.

"You should also know, Kagome, that by this time, Naraku had become much more powerful than how you probably remember him to be. It was not hard for Naraku, who was Onigumo combined with hundreds of other youkai, to ultimately gain the ability to split his body parts and reabsorb them at will."

Kagome shifted uneasily at the idea of Naraku growing even stronger than before, but she only looked down at her lap and waited silently. It was all she could do now- wait until she learned what happened to Inuyasha. Then she would find him; that much was certain.

Kaede glanced at the young woman but chose not to comment on her silence as she went on, "Well, you can imagine what that meant for Inuyasha. No matter how many times Inuyasha struck him with Tessaiga, Naraku could always just easily reattach himself. Consequently, attacking Naraku with the Kaze no Kizu ended up doing more harm than good. With stray chunks of his flesh falling on Inuyasha after each attack, it was only a matter of time before he'd be completely engulfed in them. At the time, I don't think Inuyasha realized just how close he came to being absorbed into Naraku's body."

Kagome paled, and for the first time since hearing about Inuyasha's disappearance, she spoke, "That- that wasn't how Inuyasha..."

Kaede shook her head. "The night was still young, Kagome, and the battle had really barely started." Frowning, she said, "Sango, Miroku, Kirara, and even Shippou fought hard, but they were kept busy with Naraku's continuous onrush of youkai minions and detachments. Whatever his elusive intentions may have been, it seems he was aiming to isolate Inuyasha for himself. Still, he never did succeed in taking Inuyasha into himself. There was an unexpected visitor."

"Kouga?" Kagome asked, after some consideration.

Kaede merely smiled humorlessly. "By this time, Kouga was already critically injured after having the Shikon shards extracted from his legs. No, it was Sesshoumaru who came and freed Inuyasha from Naraku's binding flesh."

There was a jerk in Kagome's head as she goggled at the old miko. "Sesshoumaru? He was fighting Naraku with Inuyasha?" Whatever she had expected, it certainly wasn't that. She was shocked; the last she remembered, he was still trying to kill Inuyasha. There was even a time when he had allied with Naraku, and the idea of Sesshoumaru fighting alongside Inuyasha was laughable.

"Well," Kaede wisely said, "Sesshoumaru's motives have always been ambiguous at best, and only he would be able to tell you why he was there. I was told that Naraku had once angered the youkai lord by attempting the same method on him, and perhaps that was his reason. But all possibilities aside, I imagine that someone as proud as Sesshoumaru would not want his father's blood to be absorbed by Naraku, regardless of what his own personal feelings towards Inuyasha may be. Either way, he did foil Naraku's plans, and from what I've heard, he was a tremendous asset to the battle." Then absently waving her hand as though it wasn't an important part of the story, the miko added, "That's all that really matters, isn't it?"

Kagome nodded dumbly, her mind still trying to wrap around the strange idea. All previous impassivity forgotten, she asked, "So what happened next?"

At the question, Kaede sighed in dismay. "While Inuyasha may have escaped Naraku's grasp, the same could not be said for the Shikon fragments that Inuyasha possessed. It seems he had already taken the opportunity to absorb the shards while Inuyasha was trapped inside his flesh. After that, it was only a simple matter for him to take Kohaku's shard before he had the completed jewel."

Kagome closed her eyes, expression aghast as she tried to keep her wits intact. Naraku had gotten hold of the Shikon no Tama. And without the shard, Kohaku's wounds and memories would return as death slowly claimed him. She had already known that Kohaku didn't survive; still, it was hard to hear it again in this context.

With a wistful look in her eye, Kaede said, "Sango tried to protect Kohaku but was severely injured in the process. In order to keep Sango safe from the numerous youkai attacks, Miroku had willingly unleashed his Kazaana even knowing that he would be taking in Naraku's Saimyoushou. It was a miracle that he even survived to see the end of that battle. In the end, Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru were the only ones left standing and fighting in full force."

Taking a deep breath herself, Kaede coughed a little as her gaze wandered towards the people who were busy rebuilding the village. Kagome fidgeted, suddenly unable to contain her need to know what had happened in the end. Surely, it couldn't have been that bad if Sesshoumaru was on their side?

After what seemed like an eternity but only a minute in reality, Kaede looked down at her wrinkled, scarred hands and said, "With the completed Shikon no Tama in Naraku's hands, he had become much more powerful than anyone could imagine. The battle took a ferocious turn after that, but even with the combined efforts of Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha, they were hardly making enough progress. It became something close to a test of stamina as Naraku merely deflected all attacks sent his way. When daylight approached after a whole night of continuous fighting, it was obvious that while the Shikon no Tama resided within Naraku, it would be near impossible to defeat him."

Here, Kaede paused again, seemingly withdrawn. Then with a frown, she said, "I should mention that in those months, Kikyou-oneesama had appeared to be allying with Naraku."

Startled, Kagome's eyes widened upon hearing this new bit of information. "She couldn't have! She would never- not after everything Naraku had done..."

"That is true." Kaede nodded thoughtfully. "Kikyou-oneesama had her own plans. Perhaps she had suspected that the Shikon no Tama might eventually fall in his hands, and by staying with Naraku, she was biding her time until she could have her revenge."

Kaede looked up at the sky and seemed to be recalling a memory of a past in a time beyond that of Kagome's. Softly, she asked, "Did you know that Kikyou-oneesama had the same power as the legendary miko, Midoriko? That was why she was the guardian of the Shikon no Tama. With her ability, she was able to purify souls of great evil and seal them within the jewel...even when the jewel was already embedded inside the demon."

Kagome's breath caught, and then she held it in altogether. Kaede eyed the young woman and said meaningfully, "Yes, when it looked like the battle couldn't be won, I believe Kikyou-oneesama began chanting the ancient spell of drawing and sealing the Shikon no Tama while it was still resting inside Naraku's body. The spell, if done correctly, would serve to seal Naraku's soul inside the jewel in order to be ultimately purified together. It'd be the only way to get rid of him for good."

Reaching up to clasp her fingers around her own Shikon shard, Kagome asked, "So Kikyou sealed Naraku inside the jewel?"

Kaede's gaze flickered, but she didn't respond to the question immediately. "When Kikyou-oneesama chanted the spell, a great light erupted from Naraku almost instantly. It seemed he realized what was happening, so in his last attempt to defend himself, Naraku poured out an enormous cloud of miasma and caused everyone to back away from the toxic fumes. But Kikyou-oneesama, who was closest to Naraku and binded to him through the spell that she was still chanting, could not get away and was instead trapped inside with him."

Kagome gasped. Although she and Kikyou had never been on friendly terms, she found that she was saddened by what Kaede said. She felt that Kikyou had already endured enough heartache for many lifetimes, and to be caught with Naraku like that...

"Inuyasha, being unable to just stand by and watch Kikyou-oneesama die, went forward with the intent to rescue her. I think even Inuyasha, himself, knew that there was a chance he might not make it back alive, but no one could stop him, and Inuyasha had always believed that he owed my sister his life."

Her chest tightening almost suffocatingly, Kagome bit her lip and looked away. More than anyone else, she knew how deep Inuyasha's feelings ran for Kikyou. After all, it had been an ongoing battle for her own emotions whenever she thought about the role that Kikyou played in Inuyasha's life, as well as, her own.

Kaede sighed heavily. "No one is quite sure about what happened next. When Inuyasha had disappeared behind the miasma, the light grew even brighter until it blinded everyone before those outside of Naraku's miasma were thrown backwards by an unseen force or barrier of some kind. By the time that the light had dimmed and the miasma cleared, there was nothing left."

Kagome snapped her head back and stared at Kaede. "What do you mean...there was nothing left?"

If it was possible, Kaede looked even more tired than she had a moment ago. "I meant just that, Kagome. When everything cleared, Naraku, Kikyou-oneesama, and Inuyasha were gone. No one knew what happened to them. They were just gone, and we haven't seen any of them since."

...............

"Se-sesshoumaru-sama! Sesshoumaru-sama! Wait for me!" Jaken cried, as he chased after his master. "How can you leave Jaken behind? Wait for me, Sesshoumaru-sama!"

There was a pause as Sesshoumaru slowed to stop. "Jaken," he intoned. Then turning around to look at the toad, he curtly said, "The staff."

Jaken's large eyes widened a notch. "Yes, my lord!"

Swinging the two-headed staff that he carried with him at all times, Jaken stamped its tip hard on the ground before looking back up at the great lord. "But Sesshoumaru-sama, the staff has not been reacting to Inutaishou-sama's tomb since-"

"Ah, Jaken-sama...look!" Rin pointed at the staff, her round eyes filled with wonder. It was the first time she had ever witnessed it do anything other than spit fire.

"Kya...kaahhh..." Jaken sputtered as his mouth dropped open in shock. The staff had suddenly started to turn slowly.

Still gaping at the staff, Jaken watched it finally come to a stop with one of its head pointed towards the direction of their desired destination. He looked up at his master and dumbly said, "South. It's pointing to just a little southeast of here..." Then realizing where that meant, he protested, "But we were just there, at Inuyasha's Forest!"

Sesshoumaru eyed the staff for one long moment. Then at last, he raised his head slightly towards the distant sky. His voice was low and his tone, cold. "Have you finally decided to reappear, Inuyasha."

* * *

**Revision completed on July 14, 2006.** Okay, I lied about the Q&A post link appearing this chapter. I didn't get the chance to put it together yet, but I'll get to it soon. Instead, I have three questions for everyone rather than answers. As you all know by now, I've been out of the fandom for several years...so I'm probably not very well-informed with facts and such. Can anyone help me answer any of these questions?

**1.** Was there ever a character book released or a side note mentioned anywhere at all in regards to Kagome's exact birthdate and year? I'd greatly appreciate it if someone could provide me with this information!

**2.** During all the times that Rin and Kagome had come across each other in the anime or manga, did Rin ever address her directly? My question is, what did Rin call her, if anything?

**3.** Was Rin's age ever confirmed anywhere? I think it was always assumed that she was around 6-8 years old at the time when she was first introduced, but I was wondering if a specific age was confirmed later on.

And that's all! Thank you very much for your help and for reading. :) As always, I hope you've been enjoying the fic so far. Reviews are love!


	8. Uncertain Gravitation

**Author's Note:** Terribly sorry for the long time it took me to post a new chapter. Shortly after my last update, my grandmother passed away and it's been a trying few months to say the least. I'm also about to start a different job that's throwing my schedule out of whack, so it's doing unfortunate things to my free time as well.

Anyhow, a warning ahead of time that this chapter turned out _completely_ different than what I had originally planned in my fic outline. It's also fairly unedited, so I hope there aren't too many glaring mistakes. I can only say something possessed it, and I'm not sure if it's the good sort of entity because I think it's sorely lacking something (and with iffy characterization at best). But knowing myself, if I tried to tweak it... I'd only end up scrapping the whole damn thing for a rewrite and then it'll never get posted. Don't be surprised if I come back to edit things later.

* * *

**Cycles of Destiny  
**by Téa

Chapter 7: Uncertain Gravitation

_So fierce was your intent, when the only assurance is uncertainty._

Kagome hitched her backpack roughly, trying but failing to ease up the weight it bored on her shoulders. It had only been a few hours, but already, it felt as though she would never see the end of her journey. Trees. That was all she saw since dawn, and it was still the only thing she could see everywhere she looked. It made her feel like she was going nowhere fast.

Coming to an abrupt stop, Kagome closed her eyes briefly and took a long, deep breath in an attempt to calm the panic and frustration that kept trying to burst out of her chest. Blinking slowly, she stared at the ground in determination. She could do this, _had _to do this.

_I'm coming for you, Inuyasha._

Kagome could feel the sting in her eyes that foretold tears, but she only forced herself to push forward through the path of the forest once more. As far as she was concerned, Inuyasha was not dead and she refused to shed any more tears as though he were. Still, she could not ignore the feeling of loneliness that overwhelmed her. It had been so long since she walked through the wilderness like this, and doing so now only served as a reminder that she was all alone this time. Now, more than ever, she missed him and the rest of her friends terribly.

By now, Kagome thought, Kaede should've already found the note she had left behind. With silent apologies, Kagome hoped once more that Kaede wasn't too worried about her. She had considered on leaving only after she had spoken to old miko this morning, but she knew Kaede would've never allowed her to leave the village on her own. And with the village's current condition, Kagome realized she would only be an extra burden for them if someone were to accompany her. It was her journey to take and not theirs after all.

In truth, however, Kagome barely had any idea as to what her plans consisted of. The only thing she could think to do was to find Miroku and Sango first. Kaede had mentioned they were going to stop by Sango's village before heading over to the northern mountains, and from what she had gathered, the northern mountains was where the final battle with Naraku took place. Subconsciously, she had already made up her mind to see it for herself. To see the place where this nightmare all began. She had to believe that she would find Inuyasha there. There was nothing else left for her to place her hopes on otherwise.

...............

Moving alongside the toad, Rin tugged at Jaken's arm once more as they followed the youkai lord through the path back to Inuyasha's forest. "Jaken-sama," she began, her voice filled with curiosity. "Can you do it again? Please?"

Jaken scowled at the girl's unrelenting pleas and huffed irritatedly. "Stop pestering me, Rin! This magical, holy staff is not a toy!"

Unfazed by the toad's response, Rin only looked at him with wide eyes. "A holy staff..." Her words trailed off as she watched Jaken's shoulders straighten up a fraction. Grinning brightly, Rin praised, "Jaken-sama was so great to make it turn like that for Sesshoumaru-sama!"

Perhaps the years of interacting with Jaken had gained the little girl an uncanny ability to trigger the pride in the toad that would spur on a speech of sorts. Whether it was her intention or not in this particular case, it appeared to work just perfectly. Jaken's chest puffed up proudly almost immediately as his walk began to resemble something akin to a pompous march. Hitting his chest with a closed fist, Jaken cleared his throat in exaggerated modesty to begin one of his many grand proclamations.

"Of course Sesshoumaru-sama would entrust such a powerful and magical staff to his most loyal servant. He gave it to me long before even you were born and said I'd be able to serve him if I could find a use for it. The staff must've known that _I_, Jaken, was none other than..."

Rin tried to keep up to the toad's stride and zoned out momentarily as she often did whenever Jaken began one of his speeches. However, once Jaken began talking in this manner, there was usually no stopping him.

"...and not only can the staff create fire at my will, but it also reacts to the great Inutaishou-sama's tomb where the only known entrance is through the black pearl hidden inside Inuyasha's eye." The toad lifted his nose upwards and swung his tiny shoulders as though he was immensely pleased with himself. "The staff turns at _my_ command to point at the location of Inutaisho-sama's tomb, so you see girl, the greatness of Sesshoumaru-sama's trust in me by handing me such an important staff..."

Slowly drifting to a stop, Rin tilted her head thoughfully. She had always heard about Sesshoumaru's father and was just reveling in the idea of visiting the tomb Jaken spoke of when she noticed a small, furry rabbit hopping about in a bush nearby. Her eyes lit up instantly, and true to the nature of children, all thoughts of the two-headed staff was temporarily forgotten in light of something else that had caught her interest. With outstretched hands, Rin began to tread towards the animal in tip toes. Then as though the rabbit had sensed her approach, it dove into a bush and disappeared from sight. Frowning, Rin concentrated on the spot and crawled after it without a second thought.

In the meantime, Jaken continued to talk onwards proudly as he followed his master in their journey, not noticing in the least bit that Rin was gone, nevermind no longer listening to him. So absorbed in his glorified rambling, he had also failed to see the pause in his master's steps.

"...and since the staff has not responded to Inutaishou-sama's tomb after Inuyasha's disappearance, this must mean-"

"Jaken."

The youkai retainer froze mid-sentence as Sesshoumaru turned to look downwards at him. Swallowing thickly, Jaken wondered if he had said too much. "Y-yes, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

Sesshoumaru's gaze flickered calmly behind Jaken. "Where is Rin?"

Jaken let out a relieved breath and gestured in the air. "She's right behind me, Sesshouma..."

Jaken's eyes widened as he whipped his head to the left and then right, realizing for the first time that Rin was nowhere to be found. Frantically scurrying from bush to bush, he began to sweat as he tried in vain to search for the young girl.

Sesshoumaru stood for a moment, the emotions of Inuyasha's human wench still barreling through his mind stronger than even before. Not sparing his servant another glance, he turned to the left and stared intently towards the direction that he had sensed his young charge taking. By the time Jaken had turned around to inform his master that he would go search for Rin, the youkai lord had already gone.

...............

Kagome lifted her arm and wiped the beading sweat off her forehead with a tired sigh. Looking up at the sunlight that peaked through the trees looming over her head, she wondered if she would reach a village soon. It was already a couple of hours past noon, but as exhaused as she was, Kagome knew it would not be a good idea to rest. After all, night would be arriving soon and no matter the greatness of her determination, she was well aware of how dangerous it was for her to be by herself in the forest after dark. Having a Shikon shard would certainly not do any favors for her either.

Glancing down at the bow in her hand, she gripped it tightly and hoped to dear God that it would be enough to protect herself with. Kagome had taken a set of bow and arrows from Kaede's village when she left, but now they didn't seem to bring her the same confidence and comfort as they had earlier. Briefly, she imagined what it would be like to encounter a youkai on her own. Then shaking her head, Kagome bit down on her lip and was about to berate herself for being prematurely afraid when she thought she heard a sound of movement coming from the clutter of tall bushes to her side.

Kagome immediately jumped backwards nervously as she fumbled with her bow. She clumsily dropped an arrow and cursed silently at herself. Of course, she thought, her training had to abandon her just when she might need it the most. She didn't have time for any more thoughts, however, when a startled scream erupted from her lips as something leapt out at her.

Bow and arrow forgotten, Kagome's arm flailed frantically as she topped backwards and landed hard on her butt. Her scream echoed through the forest until it trailed away and promptly fizzled out as she spotted her imagined youkai emerging from the bushes. Her eyes dropped down at a ball of fur in half-lidded wariness at her own silly reaction-- she had wasted her nerves on a mere rabbit that managed to look even more terrified than she had felt just seconds ago.

"Ha..hahaha..." Kagome really hadn't felt like laughing in the least, but it seemed to be an appropriate response for her to have as she gathered her bow and clambered to her feet in relief. No sooner had she made the attempt, though, it quickly transformed into another half-scream when a pair of arms suddenly shot out of the bushes to grab on to the rabbit.

"Gotcha!" A gleeful voice rang out.

With a yelp, Kagome reeled backwards and almost lost her footing again when she found herself staring into a pair of dark, wide eyes. She looked down dumbly at the unaffected, tiny figure in front of her who was now holding the rabbit captive and happily petting its fur. Her heart still pounding furiously from all the commotion, Kagome looked around to make sure nothing else was going to leap out at her before she returned her attention to the girl and the rabbit.

Kagome took a tentative step towards the girl. "Um..."

_What was a human girl and her pet rabbit doing in the middle of the forest with no village in sight?_

The young girl tilted her head and looked up at Kagome curiously until a toothy grin broke out of her small face at last. "Ah! You're the pretty, sleeping lady on the ground!"

"Sleep- sleeping... on the _where_?" Kagome stuttered, completely bewildered by the girl's odd exclamation.

She was about to ask what the little girl meant only to have her question abruptly die in her throat as she caught sight of another figure that had seemed to literally appear out of nowhere. Whipping her head around, Kagome saw him fully then and belatedly felt the oppressing youki that she should've recognized earlier. Her eyes widened, and for a moment, all she managed to do was stand rooted in place as she stared at the intimidating youkai in horror. He looked exactly like how she remembered him to be, but somehow, she had forgotten the fright he could instill with just his presence alone.

"Sesshoumaru," Kagome whispered, her voice betraying the increasing dread she felt.

Kagome watched him watch her, and the way his eyes narrowed slightly made her want to crawl out of her own skin with a shudder. Almost imperceptively, his golden eyes slid over to the little girl next to her, and that alone was enough to jerk Kagome out of her frozen state. Quickly grabbing the girl and instinctively shielding the small body with her own, Kagome took several steps backwards and raised her bow. Her arms shook as she aimed an arrow at the youkai lord. _I'm going to die_, she thought deliriously.

Kagome wanted to whimper. Of all the youkai she had to meet first, it just had to be the scariest one. Vaguely, Kagome noticed that the other girl didn't seem to be the least bit frightened. In fact, the girl was giggling behind her as though it was all a game. Kagome supposed it was just as well; she didn't think Sesshoumaru's patience would bode well with the cries of a panicked child. Her brain kicked into high gear, and she began to grasp at anything that could possibly get her out of this situation. Running away was out of the question. He'd catch her faster than she could say _Boo!_

"What- what do you want?" Kagome cringed at the way her question came out. So much for a brave front. It sounded more like a squeak than anything.

One delicate eyebrow raised as though to say she was insane if she could give him what he wanted, and it made Kagome want to scowl at the annoyingly calm youkai that had no right to appear as such when he was making her want to break out in hives. It was at that precise moment, however, when he took one step towards her and she blurted out the words without processing the possibility that they could be the last thing she ever uttered.

"Come any closer and don't think I won't shoot, Sesshoumaru!"

Sesshoumaru paused, his lips curling faintly. He did not doubt her blazing statement one bit as he watched the tense lines of the human's face crease defiantly at him. He could smell the palpable fear in the air around the woman, but his mind clearly sensed something else much stronger coming from her that made him frown internally. He had not counted on seeing her again after Tenseiga saved her, and the healing bond should've started to fade by now. Yet the connection between them seemed to have solidified into a steady plateau.

His cold gaze took in the whole of her appearance, including the arrow that she was firmly aiming at him, albeit in a fairly shaky manner. Sesshoumaru wasn't sure if he was amused or offended by the wench's action. Amused because she apparently thought she was capable of protecting Rin with such pathetic attempts. And offended because she dared think that he, Sesshoumaru, would stoop to taking advantage of a small, human child.

It came suddenly, and Kagome imagined she would've seen death flash by had she been afforded the time to think as the taiyoukai materialized just inches away in a blur of motion that was too quick for her human eyes to follow. A glow of green filled her vision, and she barely caught the way his fingers enclosed menacingly around her arrow before it melted into nothing. Something acidic lurched at the pit of her stomach as her own fingers lost its grip and the string of her bow snapped forward, vibrating violently between her and the very being of death. Déja vu struck her swiftly, and Kagome remembered with a sinking feeling, just who she was dealing with.

"I would think past experiences have taught you that your arrows are of no use against me." Sesshoumaru looked down at the young woman, eyes fierce with contempt. "But being the human that you are, I should not have been surprised by your lack of plausible judgment."

Fear morphing into indignance, Kagome opened her mouth and realized a second later that she had no idea what to say. Without any means of protection and with all caution thrown to the wind, she instead resorted to glaring up at the arrogant youkai lord. Gathering as much dignity as she could, Kagome straightened up and decided that she'd die before shriveling up from his overpowering threat to her current existence. Later, she would wonder what might've happened next if the little girl behind her had not cry out at that moment.

"Ah! The rabbit!"

Horrified, Kagome watched the girl leap off after the rabbit that had managed to escape from the cradle of her tiny arms. Casting a quick glance at Sesshoumaru, she chased after the girl and hoped that he would at least have enough honor in him to not attack them at that moment.

The child plopped on the ground after the rabbit and smiled triumphantly as she stood up with it in her arms once more. Kagome had barely caught up to the girl when she took off again. This time, much to Kagome's dismay, the girl ran straight for Sesshoumaru himself. Kagome winced, a brief image of a bloodied child and shredded rabbit flitting through her mind until her eyes buggered at the sight before her.

The girl stood in front of Sesshoumaru and held out the rabbit as though she was offering it up for sacrifice. And then she smiled brilliantly at the youkai lord. "Sesshoumaru-sama, can I keep it?"

Kagome gaped at the pair, her open mouth grazing by the dirt on the ground, she was sure. Looking up at Sesshoumaru, she found his cold eyes staring straight back at her, challenging her to say something about the mind-numbing revelation that invaded her jumbled thought process. Although he was not acknowledging the little girl's words, Kagome did not miss the clear lack of hostility he held towards the human child. The fact also remains that the girl had not only known the youkai's name, but she had actually addressed him rather fondly. But before Kagome could properly react to that realization, they were once again interrupted. It was a testimony to her worn out nerves when she hadn't even spared a missed heartbeat at yet another emergence from the bush. _It's a cursed bush_, she thought vehemently.

"Sesshoumaru-sama! Sesshou- gawrk!" The panting voice gurgled like it was choking on excess saliva. "_You_!"

Kagome wearily watched the all-too-familiar toad crawl into view before jumping to his tiny feet and jabbing his staff in the air at the little girl. Exasperation was evident on his face as he wheezed and appeared to have just run a marathon. The child only held the rabbit up once more, and Kagome was torn between feeling disturbingly amused and completely flabbergasted by the odd turn of events.

The girl, on the other hand, was oblivious to Jaken's anger. With a grin, she exclaimed cheerfully, "Jaken-sama! Look at what Rin found!"

Just when Kagome thought she had landed in some strange, mad tea party, except without the tea, the toad's two-headed staff gave a foreboding creak before springing to life all by itself. Alarmed by its movement, Kagome cringed away from the staff apprehensively as one of its faces turned and seemed to grin mockingly at her. Then, without warning, it began to laugh shrilly and steadily gained momentum until it finally croaked to a halt shortly after. The deafening silence that settled in the air was almost tangible. When Kagome determined that it wasn't going to do anything else, she looked up and suddenly found three pairs of eyes focused on her in varying degrees of awe, shock, disgust, and something else she couldn't quite place.

_Eh..._ Kagome twitched a little and backed away, a visible bead of sweat rolling down the side of her temple. With a nervous laugh, she looked back and forth between the stunned trio and the now-silent staff. "Uh... that- that was interesting... ha...ha?"

Jaken gawked at the staff, looking utterly scandalized as though it had just betrayed him in the most horrible way possible. He shook and waved the staff about, and Kagome thought Jaken looked like he was testing it for defects while muttering something along the lines of "That's impossible!"

In the midst of it all, Kagome was only dimly aware of the toad throwing accusations at her for tampering with the staff. Instead, it was the advancing youkai lord that claimed her attention in its entirety and she wondered faintly if it was possible for her to be suffocated by just the intensity of his gaze.

His eyes were narrowed as he stared down at her, and Kagome willed herself to not be intimidated by the indecipherable glint in his eye. When Sesshoumaru finally spoke, she couldn't help but wonder if she had missed something crucial.

"Inuyasha is not here."

Whatever it was that she had expected him to say, this was not it. Kagome didn't think he was looking for a confirmation from her, yet it seemed almost out of character for him to mention something so blatantly obvious.

_Now_, she thought, _is a good time for something else to jump out of that blasted bush_.

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**November 29, 2006.** Remember, possessed chapter. First, much thanks goes out to everyone who helped answer the 3 questions I mentioned in the previous chapter. It seems Kagome's birthday is unknown, but all your speculations were very helpful! All your reviews were greatly cherished as well, and I'm sorry I didn't get the chance to reply to them with everything that was happening. I'll be sure to reply this time though. As always, reviews are loved, but you already know that eh?


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